Manager of Facilities and EHS
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 SpaceX, 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 an office in Washington, D.C.
Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.
About This Role
As the Manager of Facilities and EHS, you will be responsible for managing Varda’s Facility, Varda’s impact on Environmental Health, and Varda’s Safety controls.
This position requires strong overall technical skills, excellent customer service, exceptionally communication, and great organizational management. The candidate should be a self-starter, self-motivator, and possess ingenuity to work in this novel environment.
You will manage a skilled team of folks with expertise in building and operating aerospace facilities, running propulsion and spacecraft tests safely and efficiently, operating biotechnology and materials laboratories, and running a technology start-up. You will be responsible, either directly or through your team, for an array of critical functions including overseeing critical facilities infrastructure, managing sophisticated spacecraft test facilities, and designing safety procedures for vehicle production. You and your team will also be asked to provide a facilities strategy for the company with the help of the engineering teams, spacecraft operations teams, material science and biotechnology teams, and the vehicle production organization.
Candidates should have experience in building high-quality systems in support of business operations, spacecraft development, and administering complex environments.
Responsibilities
- Recruit, retain and empower a diverse team of operations to design and build next-generation production facility for the Varda corporation and Varda's spacecraft
- Scope projects including requirements capture and initial design trades to open-ended problems
- End-to-end ownership of the Varda Facility including propulsion test stands, spacecraft clean rooms, pharmaceutical laboratories, and the safety protocols to operate each area
- Provide day to day support for engineering teams using the lab spaces and offices
- Manage the EHS, facilities, and hospitality teams to define business processes and identify areas of improvements/automation
- Partner with Propulsion, Pharmaceutical/Material Science, and Spacecraft Integration teams to develop facility hardware, and safety procedures to develop and test space mission hardware
- Work closely with Varda engineers to gather requirements, research, evaluate, design, plan, deploy, and support spacecraft hardware tests in a world-class environment
- Manage all site supplies, services, and amenities including the associated vendors and contractors
- Manage all facilities and environmental operating permits and performance of all related actions including any recording and reporting
- Proactively ensure all site operational support needs are met, including the hosting of large meetings and events
- Implement best practices and controls for environmental health at all Varda sites
- Prepare schedules and supporting documentation related to safety and environmental audit requirements, and interact with external auditors as required
- Handle special projects, taking full responsibility for the successful and timely completion of the project
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, Industrial Engineering, Biological Science, Safety Science, or Seven (7+) years of EHS and facilities experience
- Strong written and verbal communication
- Independently motivated with a demonstrated track record of delivering complex technical projects
- Experience in Digital EH&S applications (e.g.: Training, Compliance, Inspections)
- Experience with construction management
- Comfortable spending most of the time in the Laboratory environment
- U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident of the U.S. to conform with U.S Government space technology export regulations under ITAR
Preferred Skills And Experience
- Masters' degree in environmental science, industrial engineer, or 10+ years of mechanical or construction experience
- Professional Engineer (PE) License
- Experience managing multiple vertical projects
- Knowledge of processes of jurisdictional permitting and/or environmental agencies
- Demonstrated experience building and growing lean teams in a fast-paced environment
- Demonstrated strengths in organizational, attention-to-detail, follow-through, reasoning, critical
thinking, and problem-solving skills - 2+ years of experience leading teams
Additional Requirements
- Must be physically able to regularly lift 25 lbs. for duties such as delivering computers, unpacking and rack-mounting equipment, etc.
Pay Range
- Salary range: $120,000 - $160,000
- This role is on-site in El Segundo, CA
- Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance
- You will be eligible for long-term incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards
- Offer compensation also includes the ability to purchase company stock through the Employee Stock Purchase Plan
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 regulations. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our current policy is to only hire “U.S. persons” who are permitted to have access to our technology without an export license.
“US person” means: U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) (i.e., individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum in the U.S.)
Learn more about the ITAR here.
Benefits
- Exciting team of professionals at the top of their field working by your side
- Working in El Segundo, CA - an awesome Southern California beach city with quick access to entertainment and outdoor activities
- Equity in a fully funded space startup with potential for significant growth (interns excluded)
- 401(k) matching (interns excluded)
- Unlimited PTO (interns excluded)
- Health insurance, including Vision and Dental
- Lunch and snacks provided on site every day. Dinners provided twice a week.
- Maternity / Paternity leave (interns excluded)
Varda Space Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, martial status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.
E-Verify Statement
Varda Space Industries, Inc. participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program. The E-Verify program is an Internet-based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Learn more about the E-Verify program.
E-Verify Notice Right To Work Notice
Apply for this job
*
indicates a required field