Manager, Payables & Spend Operations

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
The Manager, Payables & Spend Operations owns how Varda pays for things. You will run and rebuild accounts payable, own the corporate card program, and stand up expense and travel operations—then lead the small team that operates them.
This role is deeply hands-on. You will sit at the intersection of Finance, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Pharma Operations, and you will be the person people call when a vendor needs to get paid, or a card needs to get coded. You will partner closely with Supply Chain on procure-to-pay, understand direct hardware and lab spend well enough to code it correctly, and help evolve the processes behind a spend footprint that is growing fast.
This is a full-time, exempt position in El Segundo, CA.
Responsibilities
Accounts Payable
Own end-to-end AP: invoice intake, coding, PO matching, approval routing, and posting in Business Central.
Run the payment cycle (ACH, wire, check) with dual-approval controls and own month-end close, accruals, and subledger reconciliation.
Manage CIP tracking, balance sheet coding, and fixed asset handoffs for capital and engineering spend.
Maintain vendor master data, 1099 readiness, and the open invoice and receiver queues.
Supply Chain Partnership
Serve as Finance's counterpart to Supply Chain on the procure-to-pay flow: PO structure, receiving, inspection holds, and three-way match.
Understand hardware and pharma R&D spend well enough to code it correctly—spacecraft components, machined parts, lab reagents, blanket POs—without asking.
Bring aging and exception data to Supply Chain so fixes are driven by evidence.
Corporate Card, T&E & Travel
Own the corporate card program: provisioning, limits, policy, compliance, and month-end GL coding.
Operate employee expense reimbursement and lead the future stand-up of a formal travel program.
Controls, Systems & Team
Write and maintain AP, card, and T&E policies; own audit support and cost pool accuracy across pharma and defense.
Build spend visibility and automate coding, matching, and exception handling to reduce manual work.
Lead and develop a small AP team with clear ownership, cross-training, and documented workflows.
Basic Qualifications
7+ years in accounts payable or procure-to-pay; 2+ years managing people.
Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field, or equivalent experience.
At least one full-cycle implementation of an AP, spend, or expense platform (Ramp, Coupa, Concur, Navan, or similar).
Hands-on experience with CIP, capital projects, and fixed asset handoffs in a manufacturing or hardware environment.
Working knowledge of PO-based purchasing, three-way match, and an ERP (Business Central, NetSuite, SAP, or similar).
Solid understanding of AP-adjacent accounting: accruals, prepaids, inventory receipts, and project cost tracking.
Proven ability to run a high-volume operation accurately while rebuilding it.
Strong cross-functional communicator comfortable in a lean, fast-moving environment.
Preferred Skills and Experience
Aerospace, defense, hardware, or pharmaceutical/life sciences background—experience across both is especially valued.
Familiarity with U.S. Government contracting requirements (FAR/DFARS, DCAA cost pools).
Ramp administration and ERP integration experience.
Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
Experience standing up a corporate travel program.
Startup or high-growth environment experience.
Compensation
Manager, Payables & Spend Operations: $120,000 – $150,000
Base salary is determined by skills, experience, and performance. Eligible for stock options, long-term cash awards, and the Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
Benefits
Consider your benefits covered for launch. At Varda, we invest in benefits and perks that support your health, financial well-being, and life beyond work. Benefits vary by position, with packages designed specifically for our regular full-time employees and interns.
Regular Full-Time Positions:
Health & Wellness
Flexible PTO policy + 12 paid holidays
100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options
Voluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, and pet insurance
$120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
12 weeks of parental leave (with supplemental disability leave for CA mothers)
Family building, pregnancy, parenting and menopause benefits via Maven Clinic
Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents
Financial & Retirement
Substantial incentive equity in a fully funded space start-up
401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested)
$20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
Relocation support for new hires, if needed
Workplace Experience & Perks
Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations
Complimentary EV charging
Intern Positions:
Health & Wellness
Paid observed holidays
100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options
$120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
Sponsored One Medical memberships fo