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Salary: USD 200,000 - 235,000 / annual
Varda Space Industries is seeking a Director of Business Development for Indo-Pacific Defense Strategy, based in Honolulu. This is a founding role—the first person in this seat—architecting Varda's presence across the Indo-Pacific theater and serving as the primary interface between Varda and U.S. military commands, agencies, and allied nations within the USPACOM Area of Responsibility.
Varda builds commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing, reentry capsules, and hypersonic testbeds. The company serves both commercial customers and the Department of Defense, providing reentry targets that test and validate missile defense systems for the U.S. and allied nations.
In this role, you will drive end-to-end engagement from initial conversation to signed contract with major commands (PACFLT, USARPAC, PACAF, SPACEFOR-PACOM, MARFORPAC) and allied nations including Japan, South Korea, and Australia. Your work will directly impact consequential regional defense programs such as the Guam Defense System (GDS), Golden Dome for America (GDA), and Pacific missile defense architectures.
Key responsibilities include:
- Serve as Varda's primary point of contact for Honolulu-based commands, aligning Varda's hypersonic reentry, space cargo delivery, and missile defense capabilities with theater-specific operational requirements.
- Identify, qualify, and close new business with Pacific Rim allied nations for missile defense testing, validation, and advanced hypersonic research, navigating the full international sales cycle including ITAR/EAR compliance.
- Penetrate the broader Pacific targets market by engaging MDA, USSF, and international defense ministries to integrate Varda's reentry testbeds into regional exercises and test programs.
- Lead domestic and international solicitations from white paper development through final proposal submission, working alongside the Director of Captures.
- Collaborate with Varda's engineering and mission management teams to translate INDOPACOM-specific requirements into solutions.
- Build and maintain a robust pipeline by cultivating relationships with U.S. government leads, international defense attachés, and Pacific-based private industry partners.
- Represent Varda at key regional forums including LANPAC, TechNet Indo-Pacific, and international defense symposiums across the Pacific Rim.
- Travel up to 50% of the time throughout the Pacific Rim and continental U.S.
This is a full-time, exempt position.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, international relations, or related field
- 5+ years of professional experience in DoD aerospace, defense technology, or international strategic development
- Must be based in or willing to relocate to Honolulu, HI
- Active TS/SCI clearance, or ability to be fast-tracked for one
- U.S. Citizenship required (ITAR compliance)
- Demonstrated ability to manage defense solicitations end-to-end, including international contract nuances
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including white papers and strategic policy recommendations for senior military leadership
- Willingness to travel up to 50% of the time throughout the Pacific Rim and continental U.S.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master's degree in Strategic Studies, International Security, or Business Management
- Deep understanding of the PACOM AOR, including the Pacific Multi-Domain Training and Experimentation Capability (PMTEC)
- Existing relationships within the Honolulu-based defense community, U.S. Embassy Country Teams (DAO/Attachés), and Pacific Rim defense ministries
- Proven track record closing Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) transactions with Pacific Rim partners
- Experience engaging in policy circles on hypersonic threats and missile defense architecture in the Pacific
