At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. We are building artificial gravity space stations, allowing long-term stays in space without the adverse effects of zero-gravity. Our initial crewed space habitat will be Haven-1, scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station when it launches into low earth orbit in May 2026. 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 Quality Engineer, reporting to the Manager, Quality Management 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.
In the role of Quality Engineer, you will be crucial in ensuring the consistent quality and reliability of the products and components we design, test and build here at Vast.
Responsibilities:
- Exert expert domain knowledge and effectively apply root cause analysis, FMEA, Cause Mapping, Cause & Effect diagrams, 8D, 5S and structured RCCA to drive effective and meaningful corrective action.
- Experience with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) and verification methods for complex machined parts and assemblies.
- Work proactively and collaboratively with design engineers to gain an in-depth knowledge of piece part, assembly, and/or sub-system design intent.
- Use expertise to contribute to the prevention of defects and non-conformities, ultimately reducing the likelihood of recalls and/or customer complaints.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives by analyzing quality data, identifying trends, and implementing corrective and preventive actions to enhance the overall quality of our products and reduce costs.
- Create and define technical and quality requirements based on customer and program requirements and expectations for NPI and manufacturing phases.
- Develop and approve process controls to regulate acceptance of critical characteristics.
- Recommend technical product improvements to reduce risk and potential defect opportunities and provide feedback as appropriate on manufacturing methods and technologies.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or other engineering discipline
- Expert knowledge and experience in GD&T, CMM, MSA, Tooling, AS9100, AS9102, AS9103.
- Proficient in Blueprint Reading and First Article Inspection (FAI) and interpretation of Engineering Process Specifications.
Preferred Skills & Experience:
- Master's degree in engineering, business, or supply chain.
- Certified Black / Green belt lean and Six-Sigma quality engineering methodologies.
- Experience with Quality Management Systems (ISO 9000 / AS9100 / NADCAP).
- Experience in statistical controls and methods (e.g. MSA, GR&R, Design of Experiments, Six Sigma, etc.).
- Ability to thrive in a fast paced environment.
- Effective written, verbal and presentation communication skills.
Additional Requirements:
- Ability to travel up to 20% of the time
- Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones
- Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted
Pay Range:
- Quality Engineer II: $100,000 - $131,000
- Senior Quality Engineer: $126,000 - $154,000
Salary Range: California
$100,000—$154,000 USD
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, flexible paid time off for exempt staff and up to 10 days of vacation for non-exempt staff, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, One Medical membership, 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, 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.
Top Skills
What We Do
Vast is developing artificial gravity space stations to expand humanity across the solar system.
Vast’s mission is to enable large populations of humans to live and work in space, permanently.
Our solar system has the resources and room for humanity to thrive and expand without destroying Earth’s biosphere. Unlocking these resources requires in-space infrastructure and industry at an unprecedented scale.
We are building a world-class team to engineer the human experience in space.
Why Work With Us
We're developing artificial gravity space stations to expand humanity across the solar system in order to enable large populations to live and work in space. Not only is what we're working on groundbreaking, but the team prides itself on living by our values of respect, curiosity, action, and excellence making it a lot more fun to achieve our goal.
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