Senior UX/UI Designer

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(n) Senior UX/UI Designer , reporting to the Senior Director of Brand Design, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of human-rated space stations.

This will be a full-time , exempt position located in our Long Beach location.


Responsibilities:

• Lead UX/UI design across a range of software products used across the company, including mission operations tools, data analysis platforms, and internal workflow applications.
• Translate complex technical workflows and system requirements into intuitive, high-clarity interfaces.
• Design for both real-time and asynchronous use cases, ensuring usability, efficiency, and clarity across contexts.
• Collaborate closely with engineering, product, brand, and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure alignment across functionality, usability, and visual design.
• Actively engage stakeholders across the organization by seeking input, sharing progress, and maintaining transparency throughout the design process.
• Create wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity designs to explore, validate, and communicate solutions
• Build upon and evolve a component-based design system tailored for technical and operational interfaces.
• Conduct user research and usability testing with internal users to continuously refine workflows and tools.
• Present and communicate design decisions clearly, incorporating feedback from cross-functional partners.

Minimum qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in UX/UI or product design, with a strong portfolio demonstrating complex systems and workflow design.
• Proficiency with Figma and modern design workflows.
• Experience building and maintaining scalable, component-based design systems.
• Strong understanding of user-centered design, information architecture, and usability principles.
• Proven experience designing technical, operational, or data-heavy software systems.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills in cross-functional environments.

Preferred skills and experience

• Experience with real-time data visualization, monitoring systems, or control interfaces.
• Familiarity with design-to-development workflows, including working closely with engineers and supporting clear handoff practices.
• Experience working in high-reliability environments.
• Strong systems-thinking mindset and comfort working in complex technical problem spaces.
• High curiosity and willingness to deeply understand unfamiliar domains.
• Ability to communicate complex ideas clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Organized, execution-focused, and able to keep pace with fast-moving engineering schedules.
• Passion for space exploration and building tools that support mission success.

Additional requirements

• Willingness to work full-time in person in Long Beach, CA.
• Willingness to support critical company and mission milestones as needed.
• Ability to work in a fast-moving, highly collaborative environment with evolving priorities.

Pay Range: California

$143,000-$203,000 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, 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.