Director, Lunar Programs

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 seeking a Director, Lunar Programs , reporting to the Chief Policy Officer to lead all NASA-focused business development for Vast's lunar and cislunar initiatives. This role will lead customer engagement, opportunity development, capture strategy, and partnership efforts that advance Vast's initiatives to operate the world's leading in-space infrastructure in support of NASA's lunar exploration objectives, including a sustained human presence at the Moon.

This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach, CA, Houston, TX or Washington, D.C. location.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute a comprehensive NASA lunar market strategy aligned with Vast's revenue and mission objectives
• Collaborate with Leadership, Engineering, Policy and Government Relations, Marketing, Legal, Communications, and other internal teams to ensure alignment between NASA lunar customer needs and station and lunar system development priorities
• Coordinate the preparation and delivery of lunar briefings to support strategic planning and NASA engagement activities
• Lead internal planning for NASA lunar opportunity prioritization, capture strategy, and pipeline development
• Lead customer engagement across opportunity identification, mission scoping, capability briefings, and early concept development
• Identify, shape, and advance opportunities for NASA use of Vast systems across crewed lunar missions, cislunar operations, experimentation, and training
• Monitor and analyze NASA budget requests, congressional appropriations, and authorization language to anticipate shifts in lunar program funding and priorities
• Advise Vast leadership on programmatic considerations such as cost, schedule, and risk posture that shape the viability and structure of NASA lunar opportunities
• Build relationships with NASA's international partners and their industry teams (e.g., ESA, JAXA, CSA, MBRSC) to identify multilateral opportunities and partnership constructs supporting sustained lunar presence
• Develop business cases, pricing strategy inputs, and ROM cost estimates in coordination with finance and program management
• Support proposal development and coordinate cross functional contributions from engineering, program management, legal, and operations teams
• Represent Vast at space industry events where civil space and government stakeholders are present
• Deliver presentations, participate in panels, and provide senior-level briefings that communicate the capabilities and value of Vast lunar systems

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, aerospace, business, or a related field
• 8+ years of relevant experience including substantial work in agency business development, capture management, civil space programs, or government contracting
• Deep understanding of procurement and contract structures, including IDIQ, OTA, FFP, CPFF, Space Act Agreements
• Excellent communication, analytical, collaboration, and interpersonal skills
• Strong technical understanding and ability to communicate complex systems to agency and civil space audiences
• Ability to operate independently, prioritize effectively, and manage multiple efforts simultaneously in a fast paced environment

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Master's degree in engineering, science, business, or a space policy discipline
• Experience working with NASA Headquarters, Johnson Space Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Kennedy Space Center, the Artemis program, or similar organizations
• Strong understanding of the flexible acquisition and partnership approaches NASA uses to explore new technologies, support research and experimentation, and rapidly evaluate emerging commercial capabilities
• Demonstrated experience leading efforts that secured major programs or awards, including strategy, teaming, and proposal
• Ability to work with sensitive or controlled program information

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to travel up to 30% of the time
• Ability to obtain and maintain any required government clearances

Pay Range: California

$194,000—$275,000 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: 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.