Senior Manager, Environmental Testing

Senior Manager, Environmental Testing

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 Manager, Environmental Testing reporting to the Director, Avionics Manufacturing 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.

Responsibilities:

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of manufacturing engineers supporting environmental test (vibration, thermal, TVAC, burn-in)
• Own manufacturing strategy, planning, and execution for environmental test hardware, fixtures, and processes
• Partner cross-functionally with design, test, quality, and production teams to ensure manufacturability, scalability, and reliability of avionics systems and test infrastructure
• Drive development and optimization of manufacturing processes and equipment, balancing efficiency, quality, and cost
• Establish and maintain manufacturing plans, assembly procedures, and work instructions to ensure consistent and repeatable execution
• Oversee root cause investigations and corrective actions for manufacturing and test-related issues
• Manage supplier relationships for environmental test hardware and avionics components, including process reviews and quality oversight
• Ensure successful assembly, integration, and readiness of environmental test systems in alignment with engineering requirements and program schedules
• Lead participation in design and test reviews, providing feedback to improve manufacturability and testability Partner with quality teams to define and enforce robust quality control standards
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across manufacturing operations, including lean practices and waste reduction
• Support hiring, workforce planning, and organizational scaling as programs grow
• Stay current on industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in environmental test and avionics manufacturing

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field
• 3+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, including ownership of hardware build and process development
• 2+ years of experience leading engineers and/or technicians (formal people management or demonstrated team leadership)

Preferred Skills and Qualifications:

• 3+ years of hands-on experience supporting environmental testing (vibration, thermal, TVAC, burn-in), including test setup, execution, and troubleshooting
• Demonstrated experience developing and delivering test hardware and fixtures (vibe fixtures, thermal/TVAC setups, heat sinks, etc.)
• Experience working cross-functionally with test engineering teams to plan and execute environmental test campaigns
• Working knowledge of SMC-S-016

Additional Requirements:

• Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones
• Ability to lift up to 25lbs unassisted

Pay Range:

• Manager, Environmental Testing: $140,000 - $200,000
• Senior Manager, Environmental Testing: $165,000 - $220,000

Pay Range: California

$140,000 - $220,000 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.