Staff Crew Equipment Engineer, Human Systems

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 Staff Crew Equipment Engineer, reporting to the Principal Engineer of Human Systems, to support the selection and development of the equipment and equipment accommodations required for humans on our artificial-gravity human-rated space stations. This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location. 

As a Staff Crew Equipment Engineer on the Human Systems team, you will have a unique opportunity to build out the environment that humans in our space station will interact with. You will partner with cross-functional teams like Medical, Culinary, Avionics, Thermal, ECLSS, Test, Integration, and Manufacturing to ensure high-quality human habitation systems are designed, built, and appropriately provisioned. 

To be considered, please submit a resume and engineering portfolio of work. 

Responsibilities: 

• Lead all efforts to design, select, improve, qualify, manufacture, and verify inflight equipment and equipment accommodations for crewed missions in low Earth orbit
• Provide technical expertise as a crew equipment expert, and consult on best stowage practices
• Work closely with the Medical and Culinary teams to ensure medical equipment and food supplies are adequately packaged and stowed
• Participate in crewmember equipment sessions and meetings to develop equipment and operational procedures that meet crew member’s mission requirements
• Attend and participate in industry conferences to stay up to date on innovations in relevant technical fields, such as soft goods, personal consumables, and PPE
• Support development of Vast module design and maintenance procedures to ensure equipment is appropriately accommodated
• Assesses crew non-edible consumable provisioning needs and logistics for the duration of the mission onboard the space station
• Gather requirements, study trade-offs, and define detailed specifications for all equipment and equipment accommodations
• Execute design reviews internally and externally with suppliers and customers

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, physics, industrial engineering, or other related field
• 10+ years’ experience designing and building safety equipment

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

Pay Range: 

• Staff Crew Equipment Engineer Level IV: $160,000-$190,000  

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 pendin