Director of Business Development, Indo-Pacific Defense Strategy
- Compensation
- $200K–$235K / yr
- Location
- Honolulu, United States
- Work setup
- Onsite
- Seniority
- Not specified
- Employment
- Contract
- Experience
- 5+ years
- Category
- Sales
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, international relations, or a 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 the continental U.S.
Nice to have
- 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
Full description
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 Varda
Varda Space Industries builds the infrastructure for manufacturing and operations in orbit. Our customers range from pharmaceutical companies creating breakthrough products in microgravity to the Department of Defense, which leverages our Hypersonic and Reentry Testbeds and Targets to validate missile defense systems for domestic and international partners. We provide Reentry Targets that test and validate missile defense systems for the U.S. and allied nations, and we invite private and international industry partners, research institutions, and allied nations conducting advanced R&D to leverage our orbital and suborbital target offerings.
The Role
As Director of Indo-Pacific Defense Strategy & Business Development, you will be the architect of Varda's presence across the Indo-Pacific theater — the first person in this seat, defining what it becomes. Based in Honolulu, you will serve as the primary interface between Varda and the commands, agencies, and allied nations within the USPACOM Area of Responsibility.
This is a builder role. You will drive engagement from first conversation to signed contract — with PACFLT, USARPAC, PACAF, SPACEFOR-PACOM, and MARFORPAC on the domestic side, and with Japan, South Korea, Australia, and other Pacific Rim allies on the international side. Your work will be directly visible in the region's most consequential defense programs: the Guam Defense System (GDS), Golden Dome for America (GDA), and regional missile defense architectures that will define Pacific security for a generation.