Vast is looking for a Staff Scientist, reporting to the Vice President of Mission Management, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations. This person will serve as a senior technical leader within the company’s science organization. This role will lead strategic science initiatives and coordinate research programs aligned with Vast’s long-term research roadmap.

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

Responsibilities: 

• Support execution of the Vast science strategy and align scientific opportunities with company research roadmaps
• Lead development and management of complex spaceflight research programs
• Engage directly with external scientists, international partners, and payload providers to develop flight research opportunities
• Collaborate with NASA programs including Biological and Physical Sciences (BPS)
• Human Research Program (HRP), and Mars Campaign Office (MCO)
• Translate terrestrial research concepts into viable spaceflight experiments in collaboration with payload providers and engineering teams
• Maintain institutional scientific integrity including appropriate scientific review and ethics oversight for human and payload research
• Represent Vast in scientific conferences, panels, and industry forums
• Provide leadership and mentorship to internal science teams
• Support vehicle laboratory development and research capability expansion

Minimum Qualifications:

• Advanced degree (Masters or PhD) in an empiric science or professional field
• Minimum 12 years experience managing scientific research programs
• Extensive experience integrating science into spaceflight environments such as ISS or similar platforms
• Experience leading multidisciplinary scientific teams or programs
• Strong experience working with human research or life sciences ethics frameworks

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• PhD strongly preferred
• Experience collaborating with NASA research programs such as Biological and Physical Sciences or Human Research Program
• Experience managing international research collaborations
• Strong reputation within the research community
• Experience designing orbital research laboratories or flight payload systems
• Demonstrated leadership in scientific program development

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to travel up to 40% of the time
• Willingness to work overtime, or weekends to support critical mission milestones
• Ability to represent the company in external scientific forums and conferences

Empower Your Future: At MetOx International, we’re pioneering the next era of energy security and abundance through breakthrough superconducting technology. As the Staff MOCVD Scientist, you’ll join a dynamic team committed to strengthening the world’s energy systems to make them more resilient, efficient, and reliable.

Based at our global headquarters in Houston, TX, the Staff MOCVD Scientist is a subject matter expert in thin-film deposition and reaction chemistry, responsible for advancing YBCO process development using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). This role drives innovation in high-temperature superconducting (HTS) film growth through deep understanding of precursor chemistry, gas-phase reactions, surface kinetics, and reactor transport phenomena.

This scientist leads complex scientific investigations that advance MetOx’s MOCVD deposition capabilities, develops advanced diagnostics and modeling approaches, and applies statistical and machine learning techniques to improve film quality, throughput, and reproducibility. The Staff MOCVD Scientist partners closely with materials scientists, equipment engineers, and process teams to translate scientific insight into scalable manufacturing processes supporting HTS production platforms.

Key Responsibilities

• Research Execution & Innovation
  • Designs and executes scientific investigations to develop and optimize MOCVD processes for YBCO thin-film deposition using high molecular weight solid precursors.
  • Establishes precursor decomposition pathways and reaction mechanisms governing film growth.
  • Investigates gas-phase chemistry, surface adsorption and desorption kinetics, and transport phenomena that influence deposition behavior.
  • Defines and refines process windows that maximize film quality, uniformity, reproducibility, and throughput.
  • Implements and interprets in-situ and ex-situ diagnostics to understand deposition chemistry and process behavior.
  • Correlates diagnostic results with film growth outcomes and deposition performance.
  • Applies design-of-experiments (DOE) methodologies to evaluate process parameters and drive continuous improvement.
  • Develops predictive models describing deposition behavior and process sensitivity.
• Strategy & Planning
  • Contributes to R&D roadmaps advancing HTS deposition capabilities and scaling MOCVD processes for manufacturing platforms.
  • Evaluates new precursor systems, reactor configurations, and deposition approaches to improve film performance and process capability.
  • Analyzes how reactor architecture and subsystem design influence film growth mechanisms and process stability.
  • Collaborates with equipment engineering teams to improve precursor delivery systems, reactor design, and process control strategies.
  • Applies statistical analysis, data science, and machine learning techniques to optimize process parameters, predict defects, and detect process drift.
  • Utilizes kinetic modeling, computational chemistry, or first-principles modeling to deepen understanding of reaction mechanisms and deposition physics.
• Mentorship & Collaboration
  • Mentors engineers and scientists involved in thin-film deposition and superconducting materials development.
  • Leads cross-functional scientific investigations involving materials science, process engineering, and equipment development teams.
  • Partners with characterization teams to correlate film properties with deposition parameters and reaction mechanisms.
  • Participates in internal technical reviews and cross-functional knowledge sharing.
  • Documents experimental findings and develops internal frameworks that capture key process insights and scientific learnings.

Minimum Qualifications:  

• Master’s degree in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Applied Physics or related field.
• 4 years of relevant experience including extensive experience in MOCVD or related vapor deposition processes. An advanced degree may be substituted for required experience on a year-for-year basis, depending on relevance and level.
• Demonstrated experience in thin film growth mechanisms, reaction chemistry precursor decomposition.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• PhD degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Physics, or related field.
• Recognized expertise in field of study; contributes to external collaborations.
• Direct experience with YBCO or complex oxide superconducting films, including pinning centers.
• Experience with high-molecular-weight solid precursors.
• Familiarity with in-situ diagnostic techniques.
• Experience developing or modifying MOCVD reactor hardware.
• Experience with kinetic modeling, computational chemistry, reaction pathway modeling.
• Experience using machine learning for process development.
• Programming experience (JMP, Python, MATLAB, or similar).

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities: 

• Strong understanding of gas-phase kinetics, surface chemistry, reactor transport phenomena
• Hands-on experience with thin-film characterization techniques
• Strong experimental design and statistical analysis capability
• Strong scientific judgment and innovation mindset.
• Capable of cross-functional technical influence.
• Trusted mentor and communicator.

Physical Demands: This position requires sitting at a desk and viewing a computer screen for extended periods while working or performing other office tasks. Ability to move around the office, including occasional standing, walking, and bending to retrieve documents, attend meetings, or use office equipment. Some light lifting may be required, up to 20 lbs.

MetOx is proud to offer competitive benefits including:

• Health, dental, and vision available on the first day of employment
• 401(k) match
• Paid parental leave & adoption assistance
• Educational reimbursement
• And more!

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.