Controls and Automation Engineer II

About the company

Vast develops commercial space stations to support sustained human activity, research, and manufacturing in low-Earth orbit and beyond.

About this role

<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(n) <strong>Controls &amp; Automation Engineer II</strong>, reporting to the<strong> Manager, Controls &amp; Automation</strong>, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of human-rated space stations.</p> <p>This will be a <strong>full-time</strong>,&nbsp;<strong>exempt</strong> position located in our <strong>Long Beach</strong>&nbsp;location.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Responsibilities:&nbsp;</strong></p> <ul> <li>Develop and maintain a data acquisition and controls stack to support a wide range of partnering test teams at the Long Beach site—creating software tools and setting standards for test assets and practices.</li> <li>Design, implement, and own complex control systems for testing space-rated hardware, with responsibility for both hardware and software components.</li> <li>Collaborate across disciplines—including software, thermal, manufacturing, propulsion, ECLSS, and mechanical test teams—to drive robust testing practices, gather upgrade requests, and define new capabilities for the test stack.</li> <li>Troubleshoot and debug test assets to resolve issues quickly and ensure optimal test system performance.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Minimum Qualifications:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or other engineering discipline.&nbsp;</li> <li>3+ years of applied experience with programmable logic controllers or similar embedded systems.</li> <li>Working knowledge of supporting engineering skills (Wire Harnessing, electrical diagrams, signal processing).</li> </ul> <p><strong>Preferred Skills &amp; Experience:</strong></p> <ul> <li>2+ years of experience with TwinCat programming and Beckhoff hardware.</li> <li>2+ years of professional experience testing, troubleshooting and debugging mechanical, electrical, and software issues.&nbsp;</li> <li>Coding proficiency in one or more languages (Python, C#, C++, JS, ST, etc.)</li> <li>Working knowledge of version control (Git, GitLab) and software development.</li> <li>Working knowledge of&nbsp; instrumentation selection.</li> <li>Familiarity with&nbsp; the processes behind spaceflight testing (ATP/QTP).</li> <li>Understanding of industrial communication protocols (EtherCAT, Profinet, etc)&nbsp;</li> <li>Understanding of industrial standards (UL508A, NFPA 70, ISO 13849, etc).</li> </ul> <p><strong>Additional Requirements:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Willingness to work overtime, or weekends to support critical mission milestones.</li> <li>Ability to lift up to 25lbs unassisted.</li> </ul><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="title">Pay Range: California</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$120,540</span><span class="divider">—</span><span>$171,100 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 &amp; 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&nbsp;<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