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Salary: USD 155,000 - 175,000 / annual
Varda Space Industries is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing and reentry capsules. The company designs, builds, and operates its W-Series vehicles in-house, with leadership and staff from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies, and Silicon Valley.
As Senior Contracts Specialist, you will negotiate complex, first-of-kind agreements at the forefront of the commercial space industry. You'll own agreements spanning microgravity pharmaceutical manufacturing, hypersonic reentry vehicles, and novel government space programs, working directly with the Contracts Manager to turn audacious science into executable contracts.
Key responsibilities include:
- Represent Varda to customers and serve as counterpart contracting officer for government and commercial missions
- Lead or support contract negotiations while establishing positive working relationships
- Remove blockers to contract signature while protecting company interests
- Provide comprehensive contract support and coordination across teams (mission management, operations, proposals, sales, product, leadership) to ensure compliance with signed contracts and regulations
- Manage the full contract lifecycle: pre-award strategy, proposal support, negotiation, FAR/DFARS compliance, export-control management, and post-award execution
- Manage contract closeout process, including final deliveries, payments, and resolving outstanding issues
- Manage compliance efforts with government contracts and regulatory entities, including FAR, DFARS, and export-control regulations
- Create and maintain contract and business files
- Advise management of their rights and obligations under contracts
- Review and provide recommendations on all types of contracts and agreements as needed
- Draft, review, and negotiate various contracts including NDAs, customer agreements, and partnership agreements
This is a full-time, 100% onsite position in El Segundo, CA. You'll work on a lean, high-impact team where your attention to detail and cross-functional communication directly determine how fast Varda can move.
REQUIREMENTS:
- BA/BS degree in law, business, finance, or related discipline (or equivalent professional experience)
- Minimum 4–6 years of hands-on contract management experience with emphasis on government contract management
- Experience with government contract types, including Firm Fixed Price (FFP) and Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreements
- Working knowledge of government contract compliance requirements under FAR, DFARS, and NASA FAR Supplement (NFS)
- Experience negotiating non-disclosure agreements
- Demonstrated ability to construct and deliver persuasive written and verbal arguments in negotiation settings
- Proven ability to manage competing priorities and deliver against aggressive deadlines
- Experience with export-controlled materials and regulatory compliance under ITAR and EAR
- Willingness to travel up to 10% of the time as needed
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance
- Must be a "US person" (U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3))
PREFERRED:
- Active Top Secret/SCI eligible clearance
- Demonstrated experience structuring or executing commercial agreements in dual-use or regulated technology environments, including IP licensing, data rights, or export-controlled deliverables
- Direct hands-on experience in spacecraft integration, satellite manufacturing, or GMP/regulated pharmaceutical production environments
