Senior Procurement & Supply Chain Specialist

<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 seeking a <strong>Senior Procurement & Supply Chain Specialist </strong>to own demand planning, strategic sourcing, and procurement execution for all externally sourced components on a new constellation-ready spacecraft bus — a product line designed to scale to hundreds of spacecraft per year.</p>
<p>You'll be the one-stop shop for the satellite bus supply chain — demand planning and buying in a single role. This program has over a dozen externally sourced component types across ADCS sensors, propulsion, comms, power, and mechanisms, all needing to be planned, sourced, procured, tracked, and delivered for a multi-satellite vehicle build. Several items have long lead times and require immediate action. You'll own the full lifecycle: demand planning from BOMs and engineering requirements, strategic sourcing and supplier selection, contract negotiation, delivery tracking, and material readiness — making sure the program is always clear-to-build.</p>
<p>This will be a <strong>full-time</strong>, <strong>exempt </strong>position located in our <strong>Long Beach</strong> location. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Responsibilities: </strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Own all COTS procurement campaigns end-to-end: demand planning, industry survey, RFQ/RFP, vendor evaluation and down-selection, contract negotiation, purchase order, delivery tracking, incoming inspection coordination</li>
<li>Own demand and supply planning — translate BOMs and engineering requirements into procurement actions, manage lead times, and ensure material readiness for the vehicle build schedule</li>
<li>Own multiple commodity categories — COTS spacecraft components, PCBs, PCBAs, raw materials and metals, machined parts, coatings, and test house services</li>
<li>Procure COTS components across all subsystems — ADCS, comms, power, propulsion, and mechanisms — several with long lead times requiring immediate action</li>
<li>Drive strategic sourcing — develop and optimize the supply base, negotiate pricing and terms, and build cost reduction strategies for multi-unit buys</li>
<li>Manage vendor relationships — technical exchanges, schedule updates, delivery commitments, supplier performance tracking</li>
<li>Own material readiness reporting — Clear-to-Build status, shortage reports, delivery risk tracking, and procurement status dashboards for program leadership</li>
<li>Respond to engineering changes — update demand forecasts and supply plans when requirements evolve, and communicate impact to vendors and program leadership</li>
<li>Coordinate incoming inspection and acceptance testing with receiving engineers</li>
<li>Manage purchase orders, contracts, and vendor documentation</li>
<li>Ensure export control / ITAR compliance for all procured items</li>
<li>Track component obsolescence risks and manage part alternates where needed</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Minimum Qualifications:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Business, or a related discipline</li>
<li>5+ years of procurement or supply chain experience in aerospace or defense</li>
<li>Aerospace or defense procurement experience — you've bought flight-qualified hardware components</li>
<li>Demand planning experience — translating BOMs and engineering requirements into procurement timelines and material readiness plans</li>
<li>Managed long-lead-time procurements (6-12+ months) and know how to drive urgency with vendors</li>
<li>Experience with RFQ/RFP processes, contract negotiation, vendor evaluation, and down-selection</li>
<li>ITAR/EAR compliance knowledge for component procurement</li>
<li>Strong tracking and communication skills — the program depends on you knowing exactly where every PO stands</li>
<li>Comfortable working with engineers to translate technical requirements into procurement specs</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Preferred Skills & Experience:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Able to obtain a security clearance</li>
<li>Familiar with space-grade component vendors (star tracker, IMU, reaction wheel, thruster, solar array component suppliers)</li>
<li>Experience with ERP/MRP systems for demand planning and purchase order management</li>
<li>Multi-unit procurement experience (buying 10x+ of everything, not just one-off flight units)</li>
<li>Cost reduction and value engineering experience — should-cost analysis, BOM cost breakdowns</li>
<li>Component obsolescence management and part alternate qualification</li>
<li>Experience building a procurement function — you'll be the first dedicated procurement hire and will scale the team as the program grows</li>
<li>Incoming inspection and acceptance test coordination experience</li>
</ul><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="title">Pay Range: California</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$131,200</span><span class="divider">—</span><span>$186,240 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>