People Manager

About this role

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. Varda’s W-Series vehicles are built, designed, and operated by Varda in-house, including the pharmaceutical processing payloads, the capsules, the C-PICA heat shields, and the satellite buses.

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

Reporting to the People Director, the People Manager will build and scale the infrastructure that supports Varda’s principals, people systems, equity programs, operational rigor, and their assigned business unit people operations. This role is focused on creating clarity, accountability, and scalability across core People infrastructure while acting as a strategic People partner to assigned business leaders and teams.

This person will operate as both a systems and operational leader balancing process design, compensation & benefit administration, compliance, people operations, and performance management in a fast-scaling environment.

The role partners closely with People leadership, Finance, Legal, Payroll, Recruiting, and business leaders across the company.

Responsibilities

Strategic Business Partnership

• Serve as the primary People Business Partner for assigned business units.

• Build trusted relationships with leaders to understand business priorities and translate them into effective People strategies.

• Partner on organizational design, workforce planning, team effectiveness, and organizational change.

• Coach managers on leadership effectiveness, performance, employee development, and building high-performing teams.

• Provide practical guidance on talent decisions, promotions, organizational changes, and manager effectiveness.

• Partner with leaders to anticipate organizational needs and proactively develop solutions that support business growth.

Talent & Organizational Effectiveness

• Lead annual talent processes including performance reviews, talent calibration, promotion discussions, succession planning, and development planning.

• Support leaders in identifying, developing, and retaining top talent.

• Help build leadership capability through coaching, feedback, and manager development.

• Drive consistency and accountability across People programs and leadership practices.

Compensation & People Programs

• Support managers with compensation recommendations and pay decisions that align with company philosophy and market practices.

• Lead the rollout and adoption of company-wide People initiatives, including performance management, leadership development, engagement, recognition, and talent programs.

• Develop manager communications, training, and resources to ensure successful program implementation.

• Gather feedback and continuously improve People programs based on business needs.

People Operations & Operational Excellence

• Partner with Payroll, Recruiting, Finance, and Legal to ensure seamless execution of core People processes throughout the employee lifecycle.

• Support organizational changes, transfers, promotions, and workforce planning activities.

• Maintain accurate employee data and support workforce reporting, metrics, and organizational insights.

• Conduct periodic audits of People processes and data to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance.

• Ensure People programs and practices comply with federal, state, and local employment laws while helping simplify and scale operational processes.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive HR experience, including HR Business Partner and/or People Operations experience in a high-growth technology or aerospace environment.

• Experience partnering directly with senior leaders on organizational strategy and talent management.

• Strong experience supporting compensation planning, promotions, and organizational design.

• Experience implementing and scaling People programs across a growing organization.

• Experience using People data and metrics to support workforce planning and business decisions.

• Working knowledge of HRIS systems, compensation practices, and equity administration.

• Strong understanding of California employment law and HR compliance.

• Excellent business acumen with the ability to balance strategic thinking and handson execution.

What Success Looks Like

• People systems and operational processes are scalable, accurate, and efficient

• Leaders feel supported and challenged by a strong People partner

• Performance management processes are consistent, clear, and actionable across the organization

• Reporting and workforce data help drive better business decisions

• Processes become simpler, faster, and more effective as the company scales

Pay Range

• Salary Range: $148,000 - $175,000 per year

• This role is on-site in El Segundo, CA

• Leveling and base salary is determined by job-rela

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