Senior Manufacturing Engineer, ECLSS

Vast is developing next-generation space stations and space infrastructure using an incremental, hardware-rich, and low-cost approach. Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station 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. 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 in 2027, followed by additional Haven modules. Additionally, the company recently announced Vast Satellite , a high-power satellite product line leveraging its space station components and the heritage of Haven Demo.

Headquartered in Long Beach, California , and with more than 1,000 employees and over a billion dollars in private capital, Vast has built the facilities required to manufacture and operate America’s next space station. The company plans to develop future habitats and systems for the Moon and Mars, dedicated space stations for government partners, and other crewed systems that will unlock the expanding long-term space economy.

Vast is looking for a Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Environmental Control and Life Support System s, reporting to the Senior Manager, ECLSS Manufacturing, to support the development, production, and integration of the systems required for human-rated space stations.

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

This role owns the fluid systems at the core of ECLSS: water, air, thermal, and pressurized gas hardware. You will define how new hardware is built the first time, prove it out through high pressure test and acceptance, and carry it into repeatable production across successive Haven modules.

Responsibilities:

• Own the manufacturing development, production readiness, and build execution of ECLSS fluid hardware for our artificial-gravity space station
• Develop, mature, and optimize manufacturing processes for ECLSS components and assemblies, from first builds through production and flight hardware
• Own the high pressure fluid test flow for assigned hardware, including proof, leak, and functional test planning, execution support, and data disposition
• Partner closely with design engineering to ensure hardware is manufacturable, reliable, inspectable, and scalable from early design trades through final production
• Create and maintain manufacturing plans, work instructions, assembly procedures, inspection plans, and production documentation
• Drive hands-on fabrication, assembly, integration, and test activities in a fast-paced hardware development environment
• Identify and resolve production issues through root cause analysis, failure investigation, corrective actions, and continuous improvement
• Lead design-for-manufacturing and design-for-assembly reviews internally and with suppliers
• Own manufacturing schedules, build sequencing, and production execution for assigned ECLSS hardware from early development through launch vehicle integration
• Work with technicians, quality, supply chain, design engineering, test engineering, avionics, software, and mission operations teams to ensure successful system integration
• Support supplier development and manufacturing readiness for externally produced components and assemblies
• Evaluate and implement manufacturing techniques for metallic, fluid, thermal, and soft-goods hardware, including machining, welding, brazing, tube bending, cleaning, bonding, and assembly
• Bring technical rigor, ownership, and continuous improvement to all aspects of manufacturing engineering

Additional Responsibilities at Staff Level:

• Set manufacturing strategy and standards across the ECLSS fluid hardware portfolio rather than a single subsystem
• Define and drive process, tooling, and inspection standardization across concurrent Haven module builds
• Serve as technical authority on manufacturing plans, build approaches, and high pressure test flows produced by other engineers
• Mentor and raise the technical level of Manufacturing Engineers I through Senior across the ECLSS team
• Own the manufacturing risk picture for ECLSS and drive risk reduction ahead of program milestones
• Represent ECLSS Manufacturing in program-level reviews and lead cross-organizational manufacturing initiatives

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering or science discipline
• Senior Manufacturing Engineer: 5+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, production engineering, or hardware development for fluid, thermal, environmental control, or life support systems
• Staff Manufacturing Engineer: 8+ years of the above, with demonstrated technical leadership across a subsystem, program, or team
• 3+ years of hands-on hardware experience supporting fabrication, assembly, integration, and/or testing
• Experience developing manufacturing processes, work instructions, build plans, or production documentation for complex hardware

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Master's degree in an engineering discipline
• Experience supporting production or build execution for aerospace, spacecraft, propulsion, ECLSS, thermal, fluid, or other high-reliability hardware
• Strong experience with design for manufacturing and assembly, production readiness, process development, and manufacturing risk reduction
• Experience owning high pressure fluid and gas testing, including proof, burst, pressure decay, helium mass spectrometry leak testing, and functional testing
• Experience with oxygen-clean and precision-clean fluid systems, including cleanliness specification and verification
• Demonstrated ownership of a first build or first article through to repeatable production
• Proactive problem-solving skills, including failure analysis, root cause investigation, corrective action implementation, and design of experiments
• Ability to perform trade studies using first principles and engineering fundamentals to make clear recommendations with partial information
• Experience with rotating machinery, pumps, valves, heat exchangers, pressure vessels, fans, separators, or other fluid system components
• Experience with soft goods, flexible ducting, seals, insulation, or other non-metallic flight hardware
• Experience with NX
• Solid understanding and application of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, tolerance stack-up analysis, and inspection planning
• Experience with structural analysis methods, including hand calculations, FEMAP, or ANSYS, to evaluate manufacturability, strength, life, and fracture considerations
• Knowledge of metallic and fluid system manufacturing techniques, processes, equipment, and special processes, including machining, welding, brazing, tube bending, cleaning, passivation, leak testing, proof testing, and pressure testing
• Experience working directly with technicians on the shop floor to troubleshoot builds, improve processes, and execute hardware efficiently
• Ability to work well in an integrated, collaborative team environment, including frequent interaction with technicians, engineers, quality, supply chain, and managers
• Highly self-motivated with strong organizational and written/oral communication skills; able to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment with an ongoing drive for continuous improvement

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time
• Willingness to work overtime, or weekends to support critical mission milestones
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted
• Ability to work in a shop floor environment with pressurized systems and personal protective equipment requirements

Pay Range:

• Senior Manufacturing Engineer: $137,760 - $192,552
• Staff Manufacturing Engineer: $162,360 - $230,472

Pay Range: California

$137,000—$230,000 USD

We calibrate level and compensation to the selected candidate's experience and demonstrated capability. We welcome applicants across a range of experience levels to apply.

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: 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.