Senior Mechanical Engineer, Structures

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 May 2026. 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 Senior Mechanical Engineer, Structures, reporting to the Manager, Structures Design, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations.

The Structures and Dynamics team covers a wide range of components and responsibilities: from the primary pressure hull, to MMOD shielding, engineered soft goods, and establishing design loads and factors, as well as supporting other teams’ design needs across the company.

This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location.

Responsibilities:

• Own design of primary and secondary structures on a large scale space station.
• Develop understanding of static and dynamic loads, vibrations, thermal and other environmental considerations to drive design decisions.
• Perform mechanical design and analysis, develop manufacturing drawings, test plans, concept of operations, and follow hardware through the entire process.
• Lead trades and own interfaces with sub systems.
• Work with fabricators and technicians to improve designs, develop processes, and resolve issues.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, civil engineering, physics, or math.
• 4+ years experience with CAD and FEA software packages.
• 4+ years of experience designing and developing mechanical components or systems.

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Design of structures and components for a high-performance vehicle or spacecraft.
• Proactive problem-solving skills such as failure analysis and root cause investigation.
• Prior experience in a fast-paced manufacturing setting.
• Design work in recent versions of NX/ Teamcenter.
• Analysis work in recent versions of Ansys, Femap/Nastran, Abaqus.
• Experience with GD&T implementation and analysis (ASME Y14.5).
• Familiarity with spacecraft specifications such as SMC-S-016, NASA-STD-5001.

Pay Range:

• Senior Mechanical Engineer: $135,800-$176,400
• Staff Mechanical Engineer: $159,100-$205,800