Director, Lunar Programs & NASA Partnerships

Vast; Houston, Long Beach, Washington (TX, CA, District of Columbia); On-site; USD 194,000 - 275,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Paid time off

Parental leave

401(k)

Onsite meals

Job summary

Vast seeks a Director, Lunar Programs to lead NASA-focused business development for lunar and cislunar initiatives. This full-time role can be based in Long Beach, CA, Houston, TX, or Washington, D.C., reporting to the Chief Policy Officer.

You will drive opportunity identification, capture strategy, and partnerships with NASA and international space agencies. The position requires a strong background in civil space programs, contract structures, and a proven ability to manage cross-functional

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, aerospace, business, or related field.
• 8+ years of relevant experience in agency business development, capture management, civil space programs, or government contracting.
• Deep understanding of procurement and contract structures, including IDIQ, OTA, FFP, CPFF, Space Act Agreements.
• Excellent communication, analytical, collaboration, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong technical understanding and ability to communicate complex systems to agency audiences.
• Ability to operate independently, prioritize effectively, and manage multiple efforts simultaneously in a fast paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop NASA lunar market strategy aligned with Vast's revenue and mission objectives.
• Collaborate with Leadership, Engineering, Policy and Government Relations, Marketing, Legal, Communications, and other internal teams to align NASA lunar customer needs with station and lunar system development priorities.
• Coordinate the preparation and delivery of lunar briefings to support strategic planning and NASA engagement activities.
• Lead internal planning for NASA lunar opportunity prioritization, capture strategy, and pipeline development.
• Lead customer engagement across opportunity identification, mission scoping, capability briefings, and early concept development.
• Identify, shape, and advance opportunities for NASA use of Vast systems across crewed lunar missions, cislunar operations, experimentation, and training.
• Monitor and analyze NASA budget requests, congressional appropriations, and authorization language to anticipate shifts in lunar program funding and priorities.
• Advise Vast leadership on programmatic considerations such as cost, schedule, and risk posture that shape the viability and structure of NASA lunar opportunities.
• Build relationships with NASA's international partners and their industry teams to identify multilateral opportunities and partnership constructs supporting sustained lunar presence.
• Develop business cases, pricing strategy inputs, and ROM cost estimates in coordination with finance and program management.
• Support proposal development and coordinate cross functional contributions from engineering, program management, legal, and operations teams.
• Represent Vast at space industry events where civil space and government stakeholders are present.
• Deliver presentations, participate in panels, and provide senior-level briefings that communicate the capabilities and value of Vast lunar systems.

Skills

Communication

Analytical skills

Collaboration

Interpersonal skills

Independent work

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Vast seeks a Director, Lunar Programs to lead NASA-focused business development for lunar and cislunar initiatives. This full-time role can be based in Long Beach, CA, Houston, TX, or Washington, D.C., reporting to the Chief Policy Officer.

You will drive opportunity identification, capture strategy, and partnerships with NASA and international space agencies. The position requires a strong background in civil space programs, contract structures, and a proven ability to manage cross-functional