At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. Vast is developing next-generation space stations to ensure a continuous human presence in space for America and its allies, enabling advanced microgravity research and manufacturing, and unlocking a new space economy for government, corporate, and private customers. Using an incremental, hardware-rich and low-cost approach, Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station. Haven Demo’s 2025 success made Vast the only operational commercial space station company to fly and operate its own spacecraft. Next, Haven-1 is expected to become the world’s first commercial space station when it launches, followed by additional Haven modules to enable permanent human presence by 2030. Our team is all-in, committed to executing our mission safely and on time. If you want to work with the most talented people on Earth furthering space exploration for humanity, come join us.
Vast is looking for a Build Engineer, reporting to the Manager, Structures Design, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations.
This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location.
Responsibilities:
- Develop, author, and maintain manufacturing planning documentation and work instructions for flight hardware to enable safe, repeatable builds.
- Design and implement tooling for manufacturing and verification, including build fixturing, lifting tools, inspection tools, and integration aids.
- Hands on support of dev or production builds, kitting, integration, and shipment readiness.
- Write, execute, and support Acceptance Test Procedures (ATP) and Qualification Test Procedures (QTP) for flight hardware (medical devices, space food, water, exercise equipment, ect).
- Design test fixtures, and participate in testing activities (off-gassing, flammability, mechanical loads, EMI/EMC, environmental exposure).
- Define and document inspection requirements, acceptance criteria, and inspection procedures in partnership with quality.
- Collaborate with test, quality, and design teams to resolve nonconformances and implement root cause corrective actions.
- Support the procurement, receipt, and intake of COTS components, including definition and enforcement of part numbering conventions and packaging requirements.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Engineering, or related field.
- 1+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, production engineering, quality engineering, or design engineering (internships, co-ops, and student project teams qualify).
- Hands-on experience working with hardware in a production, lab, or build environment.
- Ability to communicate effectively across multidisciplinary teams and work directly with technicians and engineers.
Preferred Skills & Experience:
- Experience with aerospace structures manufacturing, integration, or large mechanical assemblies.
- Proficiency in CAD software such as NX, SolidWorks, CATIA, or equivalent, for reviewing designs and creating manufacturing documentation.
- Hands-on experience supporting environmental testing (structural, random vibration, thermal, EMI/EMC).
- Tooling design experience for fixtures, test setups, lifting/handling equipment, and work access systems.
- Experience writing work instructions and procedures for critical or flight-like hardware.
- Comfort working in ambiguity; ability to move fast, balance multiple projects, take ownership, and deliver under tight schedule constraints.
Additional Requirements:
- Ability to travel up to 50% of the time
- Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones
- Ability to lift up to 25lbs unassisted
- Specific certifications, as appropriate
Pay Range:
- Mechanical Engineer I: $84,200 - $108,780
- Mechanical Engineer II: $110,00 - $142,100
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Base salary will vary depending on job-related knowledge, education, skills, experience, business needs, and market demand. Salary is just one component of our comprehensive compensation package. Full-time employees also receive company equity, as well as access to a full suite of compelling benefits and perks, including: 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, generous paid time off; up to 20+ days of vacation for exempt staff and up to 10+ days of vacation for non-exempt staff with the ability to cash-out unused vacation annually, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, ClassPass credits, personalized mental healthcare through Spring Health, and other discounts and perks. We also take pride in offering exceptional food perks, with snacks, drip coffee & onsite barista, cold drinks, and dinner meals remaining free of charge, and lunch subsidized as part of Vast’s ongoing commitment to providing high-quality meals for employees.
U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS
The person hired will have access to information and items subject to U.S. export controls, and therefore, must either be a “U.S. person” as defined by
22 C.F.R. § 120.62 or otherwise eligible for deemed export licensing. This status includes U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and asylees and refugees with such status granted, not pending.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Vast is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Vast is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
