Sourcing Manager

About Varda

Low Earth orbit is open for business. Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules.

From life-saving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optics, there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space. Varda is accelerating innovation in the orbital economy by creating both the products and infrastructure needed so space can directly benefit life on Earth. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind.

Our team is uniquely suited to accomplishing this goal, with leadership and staff comprised of veterans from Space

X, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies and Silicon Valley. Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with significant backing from world class investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, and Also Capital.

Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, where we have offices and a production facility where our vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested. Varda also has offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL (coming soon).

Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.

As a part of the Supply Chain Procurement team, you will play a critical role in ensuring the seamless procurement of high-quality, precision-machined components for our cutting-edge space systems. In this fast-paced, dynamic environment, you'll work closely with engineering, production, and quality teams to source, evaluate, and manage suppliers of machined parts used in spacecraft assembly, propulsion systems, and other space hardware.

You will be responsible for managing the end-to-end procurement process—from identifying potential suppliers and negotiating contracts to monitoring delivery timelines and ensuring parts meet rigorous quality standards. As Varda continues to innovate and expand, your ability to source parts that adhere to strict performance and reliability criteria will directly contribute to the success of our mission to bring space-based manufacturing into the next era.

This is a full-time, exempt position located in our El Segundo headquarters.

• Own purchasing for machined components and similar commodities from quote stage to delivery
• Send RFQs, place POs, run open order report meetings with key suppliers.
• Develop understanding of supplier capacity, lead times, and cost trends
• Work closely with supply chain engineering to develop a preferred supplier network to minimize cost and lead time
• Work closely with design engineering teams to understand upcoming design releases and part changes
• Build strong relationships with suppliers and negotiate pricing and lead times to meet mission milestones
• Identify part supply constraints that may impact production schedule and create mitigation plans
• Maintain part and planning master data to accurately reflect lead-times and stock levels
• Support purchasing of various commodities and inventory operations as needed

• 3+ years of experience working in purchasing, supply chain management, and/or engineering role
• Strong relationship building skills, and the ability to interact and work effectively with many levels of personnel and suppliers
• Understanding of common manufacturing processes and machines including mills, lathes, waterjet, laser cutters, sheet metal fabrication, etc.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% of the time

• Sourcing Specialist Manager range: $120,/per year
• Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance
• This role is on-sitein El Segundo, CA

ITAR Requirements

• Varda, like all employers, must ensure that its employees working in the United States are lawfully authorized to work in the U.S. Additionally, our employees are exposed to and have access to certain export-controlled items. At present, some of our technology to which employees have access requires a license to be exported to individuals other than “U.S. Persons” as defined in U.S. export…