Director of Hospitality

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.

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

About This Role

At Varda, we are building the future of aerospace—rapidly, relentlessly, and at scale. The Director of Hospitality is responsible for designing and operating world-class workplace services that enable our teams to perform at their absolute best. 

This is not a traditional hospitality role. You will own the full lifecycle of employee experience across food service, workplace operations, transportation, and on-site services. Your work will directly impact productivity, morale, and our ability to execute on ambitious technical milestones. 

You will be expected to operate with urgency, remove friction, and build systems that scale with a fast-growing, high-performance engineering organization. 

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

Responsibilities

• Own and scale all on-site hospitality and workplace services, including: 
  • Food service (cafeterias, micro-kitchens, catering)  
  • Employee shuttles and transportation programs  

• • Office operations and workplace experience 

• • Manage janitorial services quality control and contracts 

• • Events, team-building, and employee engagement initiatives  

• Build and manage vendor relationships with a focus on performance, cost efficiency, and reliability  

• Design high-throughput, high-quality food service supporting shift-based manufacturing teams 

• Execute services and catering/event requests, following detailed schedules and timelines, ensuring absolute guest satisfaction  

• Develop and track KPIs (cost per meal, utilization, service levels, employee satisfaction)  

• Identify and eliminate operational bottlenecks that impact employee productivity  

• Partner with Facilities, HR, Security, and Finance to deliver integrated workplace solutions 

• Support the setup, execution and breakdown of services/events including workstations, surrounding areas, dining, work, and storage spaces; ensuring safety and organization 

• Stand up new sites quickly, including greenfield builds and rapid expansions  

• Drive continuous improvement in quality, speed, and cost across all hospitality functions  

• Build and lead a high-performing team; hire, train, and develop managers and frontline staff

Basic Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalency certificate
• Culinary degree and 4+ years of industry experience; OR 6+ years of food industry experience in lieu of a culinary degree
• 10+ years of experience in a multi-outlet operation facility
• Food Managers Certification
• Best practices in food safety and sanitation 
• Proficiency in use of Microsoft Office and Outlook software
• Experience in a corporate environment
• Experience with high volume or batch cooking
• Experience leading a group of 20 or more team members
• Experience managing contracts and vendors
• Advanced knowledge of kitchen equipment and safe kitchen operations
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to lift 50lbs unassisted
• Strong verbal and written skills

Preferred Skills And Qualifications

• Proficiency in use of Microsoft Office and Outlook software
• Experience in a corporate environment
• Experience with high volume or batch cooking
• Experience leading a group of 20 or more team members
• Advanced knowledge of kitchen equipment and safe kitchen operations

Pay Range

• Salary Range: $148,000 - $190,050/per year
• 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 incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards

• 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