Domestic Capture Director
Lead the capture lifecycle for defense opportunities at Varda Space, driving growth in the aerospace and defense sectors.
Posted by employer 1 month ago
First seen on Joblaze 1 month ago
Last verified on the company career page 18 hours ago
What you'll build
- Qualify and capture high-value defense solicitations
- Drive strategy through proposal development
- Conduct rigorous go/no-go assessments
- Analyze DoD budget exhibits
- Cultivate trusted relationships across stakeholders
Must have
- 5+ years of dedicated capture management experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Science, or a related technical discipline
- Active TS/SCI security clearance
Nice to have
- Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA)
- Established professional network within the DoD hypersonic community
- Familiarity with international space frameworks
Practical constraints
- Ability to travel 25% – 50% of the time
- U.S. Citizenship or Green Card holder required
Requirements
- Experience
- 5+ years
- Education
- Bachelor's degree
- Visa
- No sponsorship (stated in posting)
Benefits
Joblaze summary
The Domestic Capture Director at Varda Space is responsible for managing the entire capture lifecycle for defense opportunities, ensuring strategic alignment between Business Development and Mission Management. This role requires expertise in defense contracting, competitive analysis, and proposal development, with a strong emphasis on collaboration across various teams. Ideal candidates will have significant experience in capture management within the aerospace or defense sectors, along with a proven track record of leading successful proposals. Varda's team is composed of industry veterans, enhancing the collaborative environment.
Joblaze insights
- Listed about a month ago — first seen on Joblaze September 17, 2026. Last confirmed on Varda Space's careers page November 10, 2026.
- Salary band is above the typical range for Management roles (median ~$172,000).
- Starts above 45% of 283 comparable director management roles in United States we track (median $200,000 across 125 companies).
Quick facts
- Is the Domestic Capture Director role remote?
- No — this is an on-site role in Huntsville, Alabama, United States.
- What's the salary range?
- Varda Space lists $200,000–$220,000 for this role.
- How much experience is required?
- At least 5 years of relevant experience for this Domestic Capture Director role.
- Where is the role based?
- Varda Space is hiring for this position in Huntsville, Alabama, United States.
- What seniority level is this role?
- Varda Space targets director candidates for this position.
- Is this full-time or contract?
- Full-time for this Domestic Capture Director role at Varda Space.
From the original posting
About Varda
About Varda
Varda Space Industries is pioneering the future of space-based manufacturing and terrestrial reentry technologies. We support a diverse portfolio of customers, from pharmaceutical companies leveraging microgravity for novel product development to domestic and international defense partners utilizing our Hypersonic and Reentry testbed. Our Reentry Targets offerings validate cutting-edge missile defense capabilities for the U.S. government, allied nations, private industry, and elite academic institutions.
The Role
As the Capture Director, you will serve as the strategic bridge between Business Development and Mission Management. You will own the end-to-end capture lifecycle for opportunities transitioned from Business Development, drive "keep-sold" expansion activities, and continuously optimize our capture processes and toolsets. In this role, you will lead formal Color Team reviews, execute "Black Hat" competitive assessments, and orchestrate Price-to-Win (PTW) strategies.
Based on-site in Huntsville, AL, you will directly accelerate the growth of Varda’s Test-as-a-Service (TaaS) portfolio across domestic and international defense, aerospace, and space intelligence markets.
What You'll Do
- Opportunity Management: Qualify and capture high-value defense solicitations across the MDA, USSF, USAF, USN, USA, SOCOM, Combatant Commands, FFRDCs/UARCs, and commercial R&D entities.
- Lifecycle Ownership: Assume full accountability for proposals at the handoff gate, driving the strategy through proposal development, compliance, evaluations, contract negotiation, and closure.
- Organic Growth: Partner with Mission Management to execute "keep-sold" strategies and deepen penetration within existing accounts (USAF, USSF, MDA, DoD).
- Gate Reviews: Conduct rigorous go/no-go assessments, evaluating customer alignment, competitive positioning, and financial ROI.
- Competitive Intelligence: Analyze DoD budget exhibits to map program schedules, funding profiles, and procurement strategies.
- Cross-Functional Leadership: Coordinate with engineering, pricing, legal, and mission management to translate complex technical specs into winning proposal frameworks.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Cultivate trusted relationships across government agencies, international partners, and private industry to understand customer pain points and embed key discriminators into Varda's offerings.
- International Capture: Apply deep knowledge of Foreign Military Sales (FMS), Direct Commercial Sales (DCS), and ITAR/EAR regulations to secure international testbed and target pursuits.
- Market Visibility: Represent Varda at key defense conferences, industry days, and symposia to expand the brand's footprint.
Basic Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Science, or a related technical discipline.
- Experience: 5+ years of dedicated capture management or business development experience within the DoD aerospace, defense, or national security technology sectors.
- Domain Expertise: Proven track record leading end-to-end defense captures from opportunity identification through contract award.
- Leadership: Experience directing cross-functional proposal teams, including engineering, pricing, legislative affairs, and operations.
- Communication: Exceptional written skills with a demonstrated ability to author compelling white papers, executive summaries, and technical proposals.
- Clearance: Active TS/SCI security clearance (or the ability to be fast-tracked for one).
- Travel: Ability to travel 25% – 50% of the time, including international travel.
- Citizenship: U.S. Citizenship or Green Card holder required to conform with ITAR and U.S. space technology export control regulations.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), Strategic Studies, or Engineering.
- Established professional network within the DoD hypersonic, reentry test, or missile defense communities.
- Deep familiarity with the DoD Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) process.
- Familiarity with international space frameworks and academic research funding mechanisms.
- Experience utilizing modern AI-driven capture tools and advanced prompt-engineering techniques to optimize proposal workflows.
Compensation & Benefits
- Base Salary Range: $200,000.00 - $220,000.00 / year (Final leveling and salary determined by skills, experience, and education).
- Incentives: Eligible for long-term incentives including stock options and/or long-term cash awards.
- Investment: Access to the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP).
- Classification: Full-time, Exempt.
Standard company text repeated across Varda Space's postings is omitted here.