Systems Engineer

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 <strong>Systems Engineer</strong>, reporting to the<strong> Vice President of Flight Safety and Mission Assurance, </strong>to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of the world's first human-rated commercial space stations</p> <p>This will be a <strong>full-time</strong>, <strong>exempt</strong> position located in our <strong>Long Beach</strong> location</p> <p><strong>Responsibilities:&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong>Technical Excellence: </strong>Lead the technical foundation of all design baselines through requirements definition, management, and traceability through major design reviews and verification campaigns</p> <ul> <li>Oversee the technical management of all products across multiple engineering disciplines, and drive product readiness and maturity through major milestones&nbsp; &nbsp;</li> <li>Establish and maintain product breakdown structures and engineering lifecycle documentation throughout the program</li> <li>Own the definition of verification &amp; validation (V&amp;V) plans to ensure high technical quality of inputs, outputs, and success criteria</li> <li>Review design implementations against requirements and drive resolution of non-compliances</li> </ul> <p><strong>Cross-Functional Leadership: </strong>Lead company-wide guidance and standard on systems engineering principles. Influence technical decision-making and configuration changes that are comprehensive and consistent across all engineering disciplines</p> <ul> <li>Excel in communication of engineering progress through major milestones to drive strategic planning for responsible engineers, engineering managers, and program leaders</li> <li>Collaborate with design and flight reliability teams on making informed decisions based on mission risks, hazards, and functional performance of systems</li> </ul> <p><strong>Process Ownership</strong>: Drive streamlining systems engineering processes that&nbsp; enables both rapid iteration and development, as well as methodical planning of design compliance and traceability to technical and programmatic requirements&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li> <ul> <li>Pioneer tools and systems that track key technical sources of truth across the program throughout all changes and milestones</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p><strong>Minimum Qualifications:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field</li> <li>2+ years of experience in design ownership, systems integration, test engineering, of which at least 1+ years are systems engineering focused</li> </ul> <p><strong>Preferred Skills &amp; Experience:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Experience in Responsible Engineering, Systems Engineering, or technical leadership roles on complex aerospace systems</li> <li>Comprehensive understanding of at least one core engineering discipline (Structures, Thermal, Avionics, Power, Flight Software, etc.)</li> <li>Hands-on experience with requirements and/or project management tools</li> <li>Experience leading design reviews (PDR, CDR) and verification campaigns</li> <li>Strong cross-disciplinary communication and technical leadership skills</li> <li>Strong systems-level intuition and the ability to create, own and drive systems engineering processes</li> <li>Background with spacecraft, aircraft, launch vehicles, or other mission- or safety-critical systems</li> <li>Familiarity with industry standards that drive space systems design and test</li> <li>Strong&nbsp; scripting and data analysis skills (Python, MATLAB, Excel) and familiarity with visualization tools (e.g., Tableau)</li> </ul> <p><strong>Additional Requirements:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones</li> </ul><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="title">Pay Range: California</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$112,340</span><span class="divider">—</span><span>$159,468 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 t