Crew Equipment Engineer I

At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. We are building artificial gravity space stations, allowing long-term stays in space without the adverse effects of zero-gravity. Our initial crewed space habitat will be Haven-1, scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station when it launches into low earth orbit in August 2025. 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 looking for a Crew Equipment Engineer I, reporting to the Principal Engineer of Human Systems, to support the selection, development, preparation, stowage, and inventory management of the crew equipment that will be required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations. This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location.

As a Crew Equipment Engineer on the Human Systems team, you will have a unique opportunity to provision the environment that humans in our space station will interact with. You will partner with cross-functional teams like Medical, Food, Structures, Thermal, ECLSS, Test, Integration, and Manufacturing to ensure high-quality human habitations are designed, built, and appropriately supported.

Responsibilities:

• Design, select, improve, qualify, manufacture, and verify inflight equipment and equipment accommodations for crewed missions in low Earth orbit
• Provide comprehensive documentation of all crew provisioned items, including building out a governing database and catalog of all crew equipment items
• Assist in the development of an inventory management system to track use and stowage of bulk and individual equipment on ground and on station
• Work closely with the Medical and Food teams to ensure medical equipment and food supplies are adequately packaged and stowed
• Work with soft goods fabricators and structural engineers to design and test bags for cargo transport
• Assesses crew non-edible consumable provisioning needs and logistics for the duration of the missions onboard the space station
• Gather requirements, study trade-offs, and define detailed specifications for all equipment and equipment accommodations
• Support design reviews internally and externally with suppliers and customers

Minimum Qualifications:

• 1+ years of experience with designing for human systems or other related engineering projects (internships/hands-on academic projects included)
• Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or other engineering discipline

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Experience in space flight hardware development
• Experience with safety equipment outside of the space industry
• Experience working with vendors for soft goods
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Ability to take ownership of projects, and deliver results
• Experience in product design and packaging

Additional Requirements:

• Excellent communication skills in all media formats (voice, email, & interpersonal)
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally
• Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted

Salary Range: California

$80,000—$110,000 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: 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, flexible paid time off for exempt staff and up to 15 days of vacation for non-exempt staff, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, free catered meals and snacks and beverages, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, One Medical membership, ClassPass credits, personalized mental healthcare through Spring Health, and other discounts and perks.

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.