Lunar Systems Architect – Lead Space Habitat

Vast Space Llc.; Long Beach, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 148,000 - 249,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) retirement plan

Paid time off

Onsite meals / snacks

Job summary

Vast is seeking a Senior System Architect, Lunar, for our Long Beach, CA team. You will define and maintain the end-to-end lunar architecture, translating NASA Moon Base requirements into implementable system designs and interfaces across subsystems.

You will lead architecture trade studies, collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams, and guide program decisions while supporting business development and proposals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace, or Systems Engineering.
• 6+ years of experience in design ownership and systems integration.
• Experience owning system-level architecture and interfaces across full lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Define, develop, and maintain end-to-end system architecture for Vast's Lunar ecosystem (habitats, power, comms, logistics, crew).
• Translate NASA Moon Base architecture and human-rating requirements into system requirements and interfaces.
• Perform architecture trade studies for mission design, lander compatibility, and surface element sizing.
• Adapt Haven Demo/1 and Vast Satellite tech to lunar environment.
• Collaborate with structures, life support, avionics, software, thermal, and human factors teams to decompose architecture.
• Develop and manage system budgets (mass, power, data, thermal, consumables).
• Identify architecture risks and drive mitigation for milestone reviews.
• Represent lunar architecture with partners and support proposals.

Skills

Design ownership

Systems integration

Test engineering

Systems engineering

Strong communication

Willingness to travel

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field

Tools

Requirements management tools

Job description

Vast is seeking a Senior System Architect, Lunar, for our Long Beach, CA team. You will define and maintain the end-to-end lunar architecture, translating NASA Moon Base requirements into implementable system designs and interfaces across subsystems.

You will lead architecture trade studies, collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams, and guide program decisions while supporting business development and proposals.