Senior Systems Engineer

Senior Systems Engineer

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 Senior Systems Engineer, reporting to the Vice President of Flight Safety and Mission Assurance, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of the world's first human-rated commercial space stations.

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

Responsibilities:

Technical Excellence: Lead the technical foundation of all design baselines through requirements definition, management, and traceability through major design reviews and verification campaigns. Oversee the technical management of all products across multiple engineering disciplines, and drive product readiness and maturity through major milestones.

• Establish and maintain product breakdown structures and engineering lifecycle documentation throughout the program.
• Own the definition of verification & validation (V&V) plans to ensure high technical quality of inputs, outputs, and success criteria.
• Review design implementations against requirements and drive resolution of non-compliances.

Cross-Functional Leadership: Lead company-wide guidance and standard on systems engineering principles. Influence technical decision-making and configuration changes that are comprehensive and consistent across all engineering disciplines.

• Excel in communication of engineering progress through major milestones to drive strategic planning for responsible engineers, engineering managers, and program leaders.
• Collaborate with design and flight reliability teams on making informed decisions based on mission risks, hazards, and functional performance of systems.

Process Ownership: Drive streamlining systems engineering processes that enables both rapid iteration and development, as well as methodical planning of design compliance and traceability to technical and programmatic requirements.

• Pioneer tools and systems that track key technical sources of truth across the program throughout all changes and milestones.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field.
• 4+ years of experience in design ownership, systems integration, test engineering, of which at least 1+ years are systems engineering focused.

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Experience in Responsible Engineering, Systems Engineering, or technical leadership roles on complex aerospace systems.
• Comprehensive understanding of at least one core engineering discipline (Structures, Thermal, Avionics, Power, Flight Software, etc.)
• Hands-on experience with requirements and/or project management tools.
• Experience leading design reviews (PDR, CDR) and verification campaigns.
• Strong cross-disciplinary communication and technical leadership skills
• Strong systems-level intuition and the ability to create, own and drive systems engineering processes.
• Background with spacecraft, aircraft, launch vehicles, or other mission- or safety-critical systems.
• Familiarity with industry standards that drive space systems design and test.
• Strong scripting and data analysis skills (Python, MATLAB, Excel) and familiarity with visualization tools (e.g., Tableau).

Additional Requirements:

• Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones

Pay Range: California $137,760 - $230,472 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: 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.