About this Manufacturing Engineer, ECLSS role at Vast
Vast is developing next-generation space stations and space infrastructure using an incremental, hardware-rich, and low-cost approach. Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station 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. 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 in 2027, followed by additional Haven modules. Additionally, the company recently announced Vast Satellite, a high-power satellite product line leveraging its space station components and the heritage of Haven Demo.
Headquartered in Long Beach, California, and with more than 1,000 employees and over a billion dollars in private capital, Vast has built the facilities required to manufacture and operate America’s next space station. The company plans to develop future habitats and systems for the Moon and Mars, dedicated space stations for government partners, and other crewed systems that will unlock the expanding long-term space economy.
Vast is looking for a Manufacturing Engineer, Environmental Control and Life Support Systems, reporting to the Senior Manager, ECLSS Manufacturing, to support the development, production, and integration of the systems required for human-rated space stations.
This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location.
This role is focused on the fluid systems at the core of ECLSS: water, air, thermal, and pressurized gas hardware. You will be on the floor for first builds, defining how new hardware gets built, documenting it, and then making it repeatable for the Haven modules that follow.
Responsibilities:
- Execute build, assembly, and integration of ECLSS fluid hardware on the shop floor alongside technicians, from first article through flight hardware
- Author, redline, and maintain work instructions, assembly procedures, build travelers, and inspection plans for assigned ECLSS assemblies
- Own manufacturing process definition for assigned hardware, including tube bending and routing, fitting installation and torque, brazed and welded joint call-outs, cleaning, passivation, and assembly
- Support proof, leak, and functional testing of fluid assemblies, including test setup, instrumentation, data collection, and post-test disposition
- Identify design for manufacturing and design for assembly issues during first builds and drive them back into the design with ECLSS Design Engineering
- Disposition nonconformances and support root cause investigation and corrective action with Quality Engineering
- Define, design, and procure tooling, fixtures, and handling hardware required to execute assigned builds safely and repeatably
- Perform fit checks, interpret GD&T, and support tolerance stack-up analysis to resolve build issues
- Track build progress, part shortages, and schedule for assigned hardware, and escalate risks early
- Train technicians on new processes and drive first-pass yield, build time, and scrap improvements with data
- Support supplier manufacturing readiness for externally produced ECLSS components and assemblies
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in an engineering or science discipline
- Manufacturing Engineer I: 0-2 years of experience in manufacturing, production, test, or hardware development engineering. Strong internship, co-op, or project team experience will be considered
- Manufacturing Engineer II: 2+ years of experience in manufacturing, production, or test engineering for fluid, thermal, environmental control, or other high-reliability hardware
Preferred Skills & Experience:
- Master's degree in an engineering discipline
- Hands-on experience with fluid or pressurized gas hardware: tube bending and routing, AN/MS/VCR fittings, brazed and welded joints, valves, pumps, heat exchangers, filters, fans, and separators
- Demonstrated hands-on hardware experience supporting fabrication, assembly, integration, and/or testing
- Working knowledge of fluid system fundamentals, including pressure drop, flow, sealing, leak paths, and cleanliness
- Experience supporting a first build or first article of new hardware, not only sustaining an established production line
- Experience with high pressure fluid and gas testing, including proof, burst, pressure decay, helium mass spectrometry leak testing, and functional testing
- Experience with oxygen-clean or precision-clean fluid hardware and cleanliness verification methods
- Experience developing manufacturing processes, work instructions, build plans, or production documentation for complex hardware
- Solid understanding and application of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, tolerance stack-up analysis, and inspection planning
- Experience with NX and with PLM or MES systems
- Knowledge of metallic and fluid system manufacturing special processes, including machining, welding, brazing, tube bending, cleaning, passivation, leak testing, proof testing, and pressure testing
- Proactive problem-solving skills, including failure analysis, root cause investigation, and corrective action implementation
- Experience working directly with technicians on the shop floor to troubleshoot builds, improve processes, and execute hardware efficiently
- Experience in aerospace, spacecraft, propulsion, ECLSS, thermal, fluid, or other high-reliability hardware environments
- Ability to work well in an integrated, collaborative team environment, including frequent interaction with technicians, engineers, quality, supply chain, and managers
- Highly self-motivated with strong organizational and written/oral communication skills; able to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment with an ongoing drive for continuous improvement
Additional Requirements:
- Ability to travel up to 10% of the time
- Willingness to work overtime, or weekends to support critical mission milestones
- Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted
- Ability to work in a shop floor environment with pressurized systems and personal protective equipment requirements
Pay Range:
- Manufacturing Engineer I: $86,100 - $122,220
- Manufacturing Engineer II: $112,340 - $159,468
We calibrate level and compensation to the selected candidate's experience and demonstrated capability. We welcome applicants across a range of experience levels to apply.
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: 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 take pride in offering exceptional food perks, with snacks, drip coffee & onsite barista, cold drinks, and dinner meals remaining free of charge, and lunch subsidized as part of Vast’s ongoing commitment to providing high-quality meals for employees.
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.
