Build Reliability Engineer - Avionics

Vast; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 112,000 - 196,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401(k) retirement plan

Onsite meals and snacks

Wellness programs

Job summary

Vast, based in Long Beach, CA, is seeking a Build Reliability Engineer (Avionics) to ensure reliability across the product lifecycle for space station hardware. You will collaborate across Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and Mission Assurance to define readiness criteria and drive risk reduction in a fast-paced environment.

The role emphasizes leadership in high-visibility issues, data-driven decisions, and strong communication to align operations, quality, and engineering.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field.
• 2+ years of experience in manufacturing, design, quality, reliability, or related roles.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives.
• Excellent communication and technical skills.

Responsibilities

• Own build reliability for avionics hardware and work centers, setting expectations for reliability and build readiness.
• Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and Mission Assurance leadership to ensure robust quality and verification plans.
• Define readiness criteria for flight hardware and drive risk retirement during production ramp-up.
• Mature internal avionics production processes with documentation, tooling, and process controls.
• Lead containment and root-cause investigations of avionics issues and implement corrective actions.
• Lead cost-of-quality reduction initiatives through simplification and better process controls.
• Collect and analyze build data, lead quality reviews, and influence teams to prevent escapes.

Skills

Lead cross-functional initiatives

Strong communication skills

Technical/engineering skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field

Advanced degree in engineering

Job description

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 Build Reliability Engineer (Avionics), reporting to the Principal Build Reliability Engineer, to support the reliability of flight avionics hardware across the product lifecycle for our human-rated space stations. In this role, you will work at the intersection of design, manufacturing, integration, and test to ensure that our space systems meet the highest standards of safety, quality, and performance.

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

Responsibilities

• Own Build Reliability for avionics hardware and work centers, setting expectations for reliability, manufacturability, and build and flight readiness
• Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and Mission Assurance leadership to ensure robust, scalable quality and verification plans across the product lifecycle, with lessons consistently carried across programs
• Ensure successful introduction of flight hardware by defining readiness criteria, including process qualification, manufacturability, and inspectability, and driving the retirement of build risks through production ramp-up
• Drive maturation of internal avionics production processes, ensuring documentation, equipment, tooling, process controls, data collection, and training support consistent and streamlined execution
• Ensure off-nominal work is performed and documented reliably. Partner with Mission Assurance to drive risk mitigations and steer response plans to severe issues. Provide leadership and technical direction for high-visibility issues, establishing recovery plans and aligning operations, quality, and engineering on execution
• Collect and analyze build data to identify risk and recurring issues. Lead build quality reviews, generate data-driven recommendations, and effectively influence partner teams to prioritize efforts that prevent escapes and improve reliability
• Lead containment and root-cause investigation of high-impact Avionics-related issues. Ensure implementation and verification of robust corrective actions that address root cause and systemic contributors across Vast
• Lead major cost of quality reduction initiatives through simplification of requirements, clearer design standards, streamlined inspection and process validation steps, and strengthened process controls

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field
• 2+ years of experience in manufacturing, design, quality, reliability, or related roles
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives
• Excellent communication and technical skills

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Masters Degree or higher
• Experience working in aerospace, defense, or other high-reliability manufacturing environments
• Direct experience working on any of the following products/processes:
• Harness Manufacturing
• Avionics/Electromech Manufacturing
• Functional testing, pressure testing, environmental testing
• Proven track record of taking ownership in projects, performing root-cause analysis and corrective actions, and influencing suppliers to drive results
• Demonstrated ability to learn new tools, processes, and technical concepts quickly
• Ability to thrive in a fast paced environment and collaborate effectively across a matrix of functions across the organization
• Detail-oriented mindset, great organizational and project-management skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, capable of interfacing with and conveying concepts to all levels of Vast
• Experience in statistical controls and methods (e.g. MSA, DOE, hypothesis testing, etc.)
• Disciplined problem-solving approach (Six Sigma, 8D, etc.)
• Working knowledge of quality systems and standards (ISO 9001, AS9100, etc.)
• Advanced degree in an engineering discipline
• Familiarity with industry standards relevant to solar arrays and avionics manufacturing, such as IPC 620 (harnesses), IPC 610 (electronic assemblies), NASA 8739.4 workmanship standards and launch requirements per SMC-S-016

Additional Requirements

• Ability to travel up to 5%
• Ability to support mission-critical events outside normal working hours

Pay Range: California

$112,340 - $195,552 USD

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.