Director, Lunar Programs
VASTAbout the role
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.
Vast is seeking a Director, Lunar Programs, reporting to the Chief Policy Officer to lead all NASA-focused business development for Vast's lunar and cislunar initiatives. This role will lead customer engagement, opportunity development, capture strategy, and partnership efforts that advance Vast's initiatives to operate the world's leading in-space infrastructure in support of NASA's lunar exploration objectives, including a sustained human presence at the Moon.
This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach, CA, Houston, TX or Washington, D.C. location.
Responsibilities:
- Develop and execute a comprehensive NASA lunar market strategy aligned with Vast's revenue and mission objectives
- Collaborate with Leadership, Engineering, Policy and Government Relations, Marketing, Legal, Communications, and other internal teams to ensure alignment between NASA lunar customer needs and station and lunar system development priorities
- Coordinate the preparation and delivery of lunar briefings to support strategic planning and NASA engagement activities
- Lead internal planning for NASA lunar opportunity prioritization, capture strategy, and pipeline development
- Lead customer engagement across opportunity identification, mission scoping, capability briefings, and early concept development
- Identify, shape, and advance opportunities for NASA use of Vast systems across crewed lunar missions, cislunar operations, experimentation, and training
- Monitor and analyze NASA budget requests, congressional appropriations, and authorization language to anticipate shifts in lunar program funding and priorities
- Advise Vast leadership on programmatic considerations such as cost, schedule, and risk posture that shape the viability and structure of NASA lunar opportunities
- Build relationships with NASA's international partners and their industry teams (e.g., ESA, JAXA, CSA, MBRSC) to identify multilateral opportunities and partnership constructs supporting sustained lunar presence
- Develop business cases, pricing strategy inputs, and ROM cost estimates in coordination with finance and program management
- Support proposal development and coordinate cross functional contributions from engineering, program management, legal, and operations teams
- Represent Vast at space industry events where civil space and government stakeholders are present
- Deliver presentations, participate in panels, and provide senior-level briefings that communicate the capabilities and value of Vast lunar systems
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, aerospace, business, or a related field
- 8+ years of relevant experience including substantial work in agency business development, capture management, civil space programs, or government contracting
- Deep understanding of procurement and contract structures, including IDIQ, OTA, FFP, CPFF, Space Act Agreements
- Excellent communication, analytical, collaboration, and interpersonal skills
- Strong technical understanding and ability to communicate complex systems to agency and civil space audiences
- Ability to operate independently, prioritize effectively, and manage multiple efforts simultaneously in a fast paced environment
Preferred Skills & Experience:
- Master's degree in engineering, science, business, or a space policy discipline
- Experience working with NASA Headquarters, Johnson Space Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Kennedy Space Center, the Artemis program, or similar organizations
- Strong understanding of the flexible acquisition and partnership approaches NASA uses to explore new technologies, support research
Apply for this role
Generate a tailored application kit with a matched cover letter, interview prep, and CV highlights — in under 60 seconds.
Apply Now →Generate Application KitFree account required — sign up in 30s