Senior Manufacturing Engineer, ECLSS

<div class="content-intro"><p>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.</p></div><p>Vast is looking for a <strong>Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Environmental Control and Life Support Systems</strong>, reporting to the <strong>Senior Manager, ECLSS Manufacturing</strong>, to support the development, production, and integration of the systems required for human-rated space stations.</p>
<p>This will be a <strong>full-time, exempt</strong> position located in our <strong>Long Beach</strong> location.</p>
<p><strong>Responsibilities: </strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Own the manufacturing development, production readiness, and build execution of environmental control and life support system hardware for our artificial-gravity space station</li>
<li>Develop, mature, and optimize manufacturing processes for ECLSS components and assemblies, from prototype builds through production and flight hardware</li>
<li>Partner closely with design engineering to ensure hardware is manufacturable, reliable, inspectable, and scalable from early design trades through final production</li>
<li>Create and maintain manufacturing plans, work instructions, assembly procedures, inspection plans, and production documentation</li>
<li>Drive hands-on fabrication, assembly, integration, and test activities in a fast-paced hardware development environment</li>
<li>Identify and resolve production issues through root cause analysis, failure investigation, corrective actions, and continuous improvement</li>
<li>Lead design-for-manufacturing and design-for-assembly reviews internally and with suppliers</li>
<li>Own manufacturing schedules, build sequencing, and production execution for assigned ECLSS hardware from early development through launch vehicle integration</li>
<li>Work with technicians, quality, supply chain, design engineering, test engineering, avionics, software, and mission operations teams to ensure successful system integration</li>
<li>Support supplier development and manufacturing readiness for externally produced components and assemblies</li>
<li>Evaluate and implement manufacturing techniques for metallic, fluid, thermal, and soft-goods hardware, including machining, welding, brazing, tube bending, cleaning, bonding, and assembly</li>
<li>Bring technical rigor, ownership, and continuous improvement to all aspects of manufacturing engineering</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Basic Qualifications</strong><strong><br></strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Bachelor’s degree in an engineering or science discipline</li>
<li>5+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, production engineering, or hardware development for fluid, thermal, environmental control, or life support systems</li>
<li>3+ years of hands-on hardware experience supporting fabrication, assembly, integration, and/or testing</li>
<li>Experience developing manufacturing processes, work instructions, build plans, or production documentation for complex hardware</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Preferred Qualifications</strong><strong><br></strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Master’s degree in an engineering discipline.</li>
<li>Experience supporting production or build execution for aerospace, spacecraft, propulsion, ECLSS, thermal, fluid, or other high-reliability hardware</li>
<li>Strong experience with design for manufacturing and assembly, production readiness, process development, and manufacturing risk reduction</li>
<li>Proactive problem-solving skills, including failure analysis, root cause investigation, corrective action implementation, and design of experiments</li>
<li>Ability to perform trade studies using first principles and engineering fundamentals to make clear recommendations with partial information</li>
<li>Experience with rotating machinery, pumps, valves, heat exchangers, pressure vessels, fans, separators, or other fluid system components</li>
<li>Experience with soft goods, flexible ducting, seals, insulation, or other non-metallic flight hardware</li>
<li>Experience with NX</li>
<li>Solid understanding and application of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, tolerance stack-up analysis, and inspection planning</li>
<li>Experience with structural analysis methods, including hand calculations, FEMAP, or ANSYS, to evaluate manufacturability, strength, life, and fracture considerations</li>
<li>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</li>
<li>Experience working directly with technicians on the shop floor to troubleshoot builds, improve processes, and execute hardware efficiently</li>
<li>Ability to work well in an integrated, collaborative team environment, including frequent interaction with technicians, engineers, quality, supply chain, and managers</li>
<li>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</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Pay Range:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Manufacturing Engineer II: $112,340 - $159,468</li>
<li>Senior Manufacturing Engineer: $137,760 - $192,552</li>
<li>Staff Manufacturing Engineer: $162,360 - $230,472</li>
</ul><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="title">Pay Range: California</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$137,000</span><span class="divider">—</span><span>$230,000 USD</span></div></div></div><div class="content-conclusion"><p style="line-height: 1;"><strong>COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS<br></strong><br>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.</p>
<p style="line-height: 1;"><strong><br>U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS<br><br></strong>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 <a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-22/section-120.62">22 C.F.R. § 120.62</a> 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.<br><br></p>
<p style="line-height: 1;"><strong>EQUAL OPPORTUNITY</strong><br><br>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.</p></div>