Accounting and Finance Principal
$145k - $175k USD
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
This role sits at the intersection of finance, engineering, and operations, driving data-informed decision-making across a fast-growing manufacturing environment. As an Accounting and Finance Principal, you will partner closely with cross-functional teams to develop financial insights, optimize resource allocation, and establish scalable processes that support production and inventory management. The position plays a key role in tracking performance, improving operational efficiency, and ensuring financial accuracy as the business expands. This is a great opportunity for a strategic and hands-on leader.
This position is based in El Segundo, CA (Los Angeles area), and requires being onsite full-time
Responsibilities
- Align with Engineering to implement processes for accurate labor cost allocation in manufactured parts.
- Identify resource requirements for business entities, including headcount, capital, vehicle refurbishment/build costs, and operating expenses.
- Collaborate with production and engineering teams to define production and operational KPIs, analyzing performance against productivity targets.
- Partner with business leaders to prepare financial analyses that inform optimal operational decision-making.
- Work closely with supply chain to ensure financial obligations are tracked and committed as we scale for rapid growth.
- Support financial close analysis and group-level reporting; identify process improvements and automation opportunities, implementing changes to streamline processes.
- Provide insights on spending variances and department-level reporting to business partners.
- Coordinate capital expenditure tracking and related cash forecasts for the business.
- Deliver financial analysis and support to propel business initiatives forward.
- Develop scalability plans for inventory management processes to align with business growth, including infrastructure, staffing, and technology upgrades.
- Monitor KPIs for inventory management, such as inventory turnover rate, accuracy rate, and carrying costs, to measure performance and identify areas for improvement.
- Utilize software solutions that offer real-time tracking, automated reordering, and comprehensive analytics to enhance inventory accuracy and visibility.
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree
- 10+ years of experience in finance or operations
Preferred Skills
- Master’s degree in business administration
- Experience working in finance organizations of fast-moving manufacturing or technology companies
- Experience with enterprise resource planning (ERP) databases and structured query language (SQL) programming
- Advanced Excel financial modelling skills
- Experience with presenting analytical results in both verbal and written form across a multi-disciplinary organization
- Willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed
Pay Range
- Salary range: $145,000 - 175,000/per year
- Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance
- This role is on-sitein El Segundo, CA
ITAR Requirements
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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
- Exciting team of professionals at the top of their field working by your side
- Equity in a fully funded space startup with potential for significant growth (interns excluded)
- 401(k) matching (interns excluded)
- Unlimited PTO (interns excluded)
- Health insurance, including Vision and Dental
- Lunch and snacks provided on site every day. Dinners provided twice a week.
- Maternity / Paternity leave (interns excluded)
Varda Space Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, martial status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.
E-Verify Statement
Varda Space Industries, Inc. participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program. The E-Verify program is an Internet-based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Learn more about the E-Verify program.
E-Verify Notice Right To Work Notice