Business Development SkillBridge Intern ( Summer 2026)

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 offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL (coming soon).

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

About This Role  

Varda supports a diverse range of customers—from pharmaceutical companies pioneering new therapeutics in microgravity, to the U.S. Department of Defense and allied agencies leveraging our reentry vehicles for critical missions. We also partner with private industry, research institutions, and universities conducting advanced orbital and reentry R&D. 

As a Business Development SkillBridge Intern – Advanced Concepts, you will help identify, develop, and capture new business opportunities that expand the use of Varda’s spacecraft in national security missions. You will take ownership of capture opportunities—from early engagement strategy through proposal development—working closely with Varda’s engineering and program teams to shape mission concepts that align our novel architecture with DoD requirements and future space mission paradigms. 

Your contributions will directly accelerate U.S. capabilities in space and reentry—and help ensure Varda remains at the forefront of space innovation. 

This is a Intern position located in El Segundo, CA, or Washington DC.  

Responsibilities  

• Identify and qualify prospective opportunities and the stakeholders, including the US Army, US Space Force, US Air Force, US Navy, Special Operations Command, Combatant Commands and others including commercial entities, that seek space and reentry capability.  

• Take full ownership of select solicitations, managing the process from the initial approach and proposal development through contract negotiations and closure.  

• Collaborate with technical and program management teams to translate customer requirements into feasible mission parameters, ensuring alignment with Varda’s capabilities and strategic objectives.  

• Take ownership on proposals and white papers that include technical scopes, pricing models, compliance documentation, and schedules, ensuring submissions meet customer and regulatory standards.  

• Analyze DoW customer budget exhibits to understand program schedules, funding, milestones and procurement strategies.  

• Develop relationships with key stakeholders—ranging from government customers and academia to private industry leads—and maintain a steady pipeline of opportunities.  

• As required, represent Varda at conferences, networking events, and industry forums to engage with commercial space, academia and DoW market segments.  

• Monitor industry trends, regulatory shifts, and emerging technologies keeping internal teams informed and adjusting strategies accordingly.  

Basic Qualifications  

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in business, engineering, science, or related field  

• 3+ years of DoW Service including at least 1 year of space or hypersonic aerospace relevant roles 

• Experience with Program Management/Mission Management for a technical aerospace project 

• Experience interfacing with Industry 

• Demonstrated interest in spaceflight, hypersonic research, and related R&D fields  

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write compelling white papers and proposals  

• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain productive stakeholder relationships  

• Willingness to travel up to 50% of the time (both domestic and international)  

• Active TS/SCI  

• 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  

• Master’s degree in business management, strategic studies, or engineering  

• Engineering Background and Experience 

• Familiarity with DoW Program/Budget process, proposal processes, international space agency frameworks, and academic research funding cycles  

• 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