W Series Vehicle Scheduler

<div class="content-intro"><h2><span data-contrast="none">About Varda</span></h2> <p>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. <strong>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.</strong></p> <p>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.  </p> <p>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.  </p> <p>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. </p> <p>Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.</p></div><p><strong>About This Role</strong></p> <p>As a <strong>W-Series Vehicle Scheduler</strong>, you will develop, analyze, and maintain integrated vehicle schedules for Varda Space's growing fleet as the company scales its product lines toward more advanced mission objectives and an increasing operational cadence. Reporting directly to the VP, W-Series Vehicles, you will identify critical path drivers across subsystems engineering, systems integration and test, supply chain, and production, supporting Varda's target of 12+ vehicles per year. You will own baseline schedule development for vehicle block upgrades and sustain recurring reentry vehicle schedules.</p> <p><strong>Responsibilities</strong></p> <ul> <li>Develop, maintain, and analyze integrated master schedules (IMS) in Microsoft Project or equivalent tooling across the W-Series Vehicle fleet</li> <li>Partner with Vehicle Systems, Integration and Test leadership, and engineering task leads to translate scope into executable plans aligned with budget and technical objectives</li> <li>Identify critical path, near-critical activities, and key schedule drivers to support informed decision-making</li> <li>Lead weekly schedule updates, status collection, and forecast adjustments; clearly communicate risks, impacts, and recovery options</li> <li>Support baseline development, re-baselining efforts, engineering change cut-ins, and change management activities throughout the program lifecycle</li> <li>Assist the VP, W-Series Vehicles and Finance with monthly earned value metrics, including mission-related spend and non-recurring and recurring engineering labor</li> <li>Perform schedule quality checks and health assessments in accordance with industry best practices and Varda standards</li> <li>Drive scheduling process improvements through standardization, automation, and tool enhancements</li> <li>Ensure schedules are defensible, audit-ready, and aligned with leadership expectations</li> <li>Support program reviews and provide scheduling expertise to facilitate decision-making</li> </ul> <p><strong>Basic Qualifications</strong></p> <ul> <li>B.S. or M.S. with emphasis in Project Management or related field</li> <li>8+ years of experience in mission, space vehicle, or production scheduling</li> <li>Expertise in schedule management tools, including MS Project and Smartsheet</li> <li>Proficiency in manufacturing resource planning (MRP) tools</li> <li>Strong communication and collaboration skills in a cross-functional environment</li> </ul> <p><strong>Preferred Skills and Experience</strong></p> <ul> <li>Experience in a fast-paced aerospace or technology startup environment</li> <li>Background in space or aviation hardware production</li> <li>Familiarity with streamlined earned value management methods and tools</li> </ul> <p><strong>Pay Range</strong></p> <ul> <li>Salary Range: $125,000 - $190,000/per year</li> <li>This role is on-site<strong> </strong>in El Segundo, CA</li> <li>Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance</li> <li>You will be eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards</li> </ul><div class="content-conclusion"><h2>ITAR Requirements</h2> <p>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. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our policy is to only hire “U.S. persons” who are permitted to have access to our technology without an export license.<br><br>“US person” means: U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful perma