Buyer II

Vast; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 89,000 - 153,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Paid time off

401(k) retirement plan

ClassPass credits

Mental health benefits (Spring Health)

Free meals and snacks at site

Job summary

Vast, headquartered in Long Beach, CA, seeks a Buyer II to drive full-cycle procurement for space station programs. You’ll source, negotiate, and manage suppliers across aerospace components, coordinating with Legal, Finance, and Engineering to optimize costs and delivery.

The role requires 2–4+ years in procurement and a collaborative, high‑performance mindset. This full-time, exempt position offers exposure to mission-critical programs, travel up to 20%, and a comprehensive compensation

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent practical experience)
• 2–4+ years of experience in sourcing/procurement, supply chain, or manufacturing operations
• Experience supporting supplier selection and RFQ/RFP cycles, negotiations, and PO placement
• Exposure to manufacturing and/or aerospace supply chains strongly preferred

Responsibilities

• Manage the full procurement lifecycle for assigned commodities/categories, from demand identification through fulfillment
• Manage supply base against business KPI’s and drive supplier improvement activities
• Act as a voice for Supply Chain to inform and influence partner organizations to drive both strategic and tactical initiatives
• Proactively align source selection, negotiation, and contracting strategies with program, customer, and product strategies
• Review and leverage contracts and Terms & Conditions, lead negotiations, and build defensible should-cost models
• Coordinate and collaborate with key stakeholders such as Legal, Contracts, Finance, Planning, Operations, Program Management, Engineering, and Quality to effectively manage supplier performance in the best interests of Vast
• Communicate proactively and align messaging to business priorities. Flag risks to schedule, cost, and delivery. Share commodity strategies to influence business decisions
• The selected candidate should thrive in a fast-paced work environment with high expectations, significantly diverse assignments, and collaborative team settings across all levels

Skills

Sourcing & procurement

RFQ/RFP cycles

Negotiations

PO placement

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, or related field

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 Buyer II, reporting to the Senior Manager, Procurement, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of human-rated space stations.

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

Responsibilities

• Manage the full procurement lifecycle for assigned commodities/categories, from demand identification through fulfillment.
• Manage supply base against business KPI’s and drive supplier improvement activities
• Act as a voice for Supply Chain to inform and influence partner organizations to drive both strategic and tactical initiatives
• Proactively align source selection, negotiation, and contracting strategies with program, customer, and product strategies
• Review and leverage contracts and Terms & Conditions, lead negotiations, and build defensible should-cost models
• Coordinate and collaborate with key stakeholders such as Legal, Contracts, Finance, Planning, Operations,Program Management, Engineering, and Quality to effectively manage supplier performance in the best interests of Vast
• Communicate proactively and align messaging to business priorities. Flag risks to schedule, cost, and delivery. Share commodity strategies to influence business decisions
• The selected candidate should thrive in a fast-paced work environment with high expectations, significantly diverse assignments, and collaborative team settings across all levels

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent practical experience)
• 2–4+ years of experience in sourcing/procurement, supply chain, or manufacturing operations
• Experience supporting supplier selection and RFQ/RFP cycles, negotiations, and PO placement
• Exposure to manufacturing and/or aerospace supply chains strongly preferred

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Bachelors of science degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Business, or related field
• Experience in a purchasing or sourcing role supporting aerospace, spaceflight, or other highly regulated manufacturing environments and complex systems
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment
• Ability to make independent judgments with limited information
• Communication skills for relaying data (verbally and in-writing) between other employees, vendors, and customers
• Comfortable working in a high-stress environment balancing several projects at any given time, and the flexibility to adjust for abrupt changes in strategic direction
• Ability to balance multiple priorities with ambiguous instructions

Additional Requirements

• Willingness to travel up to 20% of the time to support supplier visits
• Work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones

Pay Range: California

$88,810 - $152,940 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 by22 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.