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 Senior Mechanical Engineer, reporting to the VP, Haven-2 Engineering, to design key mechanical systems for Haven-2 as part of the NASA Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) proposal.
This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location.
Responsibilities:
- Act as responsible engineer for key mechanical and mechanism designs for Haven-2, the successor to ISS
- Act as a primary mechanical stakeholder in early trade and architecture discussions for the design of Haven-2
- Ensure that Haven-2 is not only performant, but also act as a driving force to reduce mass costs and simplify designs to ensure overall station design is manufacturable and commercially viability
- Develop an understanding of static and dynamic loads, vibrations, thermal and other environmental considerations to drive design decisions.
- Perform mechanical design and analysis, develop manufacturing drawings, test plans, and concept of operations and follow hardware through the entire process.
- Work with fabricators and technicians to improve designs, develop processes and resolve issues
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or related engineering discipline
- 5 years experience with CAD and FEA software packages.
- 5 years of experience designing and developing mechanical components or systems.
Preferred Skills & Experience:
- Design of structures and mechanisms for a high-performance vehicle or spacecraft
- Experience working with and integrating partner hardware (such as solar panels and robotic arms)
- Proactive problem-solving skills such as failure analysis and root cause investigation
- Prior experience in a fast-paced manufacturing setting
- Design work in recent versions of NX, Teamcenter
- Analysis work in recent versions of Ansys, FeMap/Nastran, Abaqus
- Experience with GD&T implementation and analysis (ASME Y14.5)
- Familiarity with spacecraft specifications such as SMC-S-016, NASA-STD-5001, and NASA-STD-5019
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:
- Senior Mechanical Engineer: $135,000 - $170,000
- Staff Mechanical Engineer: $160,000 - $200,000
Salary Range: California
$135,000—$170,000 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.
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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