Manufacturing Engineering, Fluid Systems Engineering - Propulsion Long Beach, CA

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

Benefits offered by this job

Company equity

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Generous paid time off

Wellness and meal perks

Job summary

Vast Space Llc. in Long Beach, CA, seeks a Manufacturing Engineer, Fluid Systems, to design, build, and test innovative tubing systems for Haven-1 and related programs.

You will lead first-builds, develop manufacturing processes, and partner with design and production teams to meet aggressive timelines. The role requires hands-on fabrication, CAD proficiency (NX preferred), and collaboration across cross-functional teams to ensure high-quality, reliable spaceflight hardware.

Qualifications

• B.S. in mechanical, aerospace, manufacturing or electrical engineering, physics, mathematics, or a related technical field.
• 2+ years of manufacturing experience managing a product/product line across multiple work centers and/or departments, fluid, pressurized, propulsion, or environmental control hardware in design, manufacturing, or test.
• 2-4+ years of experience for Manufacturing Engineer II.
• 4-6+ years of experience for Senior Manufacturing Engineer.
• Hands-on fabrication, assembly, and/or integration experience; CAD proficiency (NX preferred).
• Experience with CAD tools (e.g., Siemens NX) and the ability to review designs, generate manufacturing documentation, and design assembly or test tooling.

Responsibilities

• Conceptualize, develop, and manufacture innovative tube-bending and welding cells to meet the demanding requirements of the Haven-1 program.
• Lead first-build and test efforts, including design integration, assembly sequencing, mBOM development, work order creation, and specification authoring.
• Create and maintain detailed manufacturing plans, assembly procedures, and work instructions to ensure consistent, accurate production of all tubing systems.
• Identify and resolve manufacturing challenges through root-cause analysis and implementation of corrective actions.
• Apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to challenge assumptions, push boundaries, and drive efficient human-spaceflight production within aggressive timelines.
• Collaborate closely with design engineers, integration engineers, production teams, and external vendors to execute builds expediently and efficiently.
• Develop efficient, capability-driven tooling solutions that streamline production, increase system output, and reduce operational burden.
• Partner with quality assurance teams to establish and maintain rigorous quality control processes.
• Establish and maintain standard practices, troubleshooting guides, and standardized repair procedures; review and approve all related planning documents.
• Support day-to-day production of bent tubes, orbital tube welding (OTW), and manually welded tubing, ensuring optimal efficiency and adherence to quality standards.
• Evaluate and challenge existing production and design requirements for tubing assemblies, using data-driven insights to eliminate waste and optimize the manufacturing process.
• Continuously streamline and improve production systems by proactively identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, reduce waste, and improve overall product quality

Skills

Fabrication & assembly

NX CAD

Root-cause analysis

Quality control

Problem solving

Education

Engineering degree (B.S.)

Tools

Siemens NX

Teamcenter

Ansys

Job description

Manufacturing Engineering, Fluid Systems

Long Beach, California, United States

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 Manufacturing Engineer, Fluid Systems, to help develop the systems behind our human-rated space stations. You'll use your engineering knowledge and creativity to design, build, and test novel solutions at the cutting edge of space technology.

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

Responsibilities:

• Conceptualize, develop, and manufacture innovative tube-bending and welding cells to meet the demanding requirements of the Haven-1 program
• Lead first-build and test efforts, including design integration, assembly sequencing, mBOM development, work order creation, and specification authoring
• Create and maintain detailed manufacturing plans, assembly procedures, and work instructions to ensure consistent, accurate production of all tubing systems
• Identify and resolve manufacturing challenges through root-cause analysis and implementation of corrective actions
• Apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to challenge assumptions, push boundaries, and drive efficient human-spaceflight production within aggressive timelines
• Collaborate closely with design engineers, integration engineers, production teams, and external vendors to execute builds expediently and efficiently
• Develop efficient, capability-driven tooling solutions that streamline production, increase system output, and reduce operational burden
• Partner with quality assurance teams to establish and maintain rigorous quality control processes
• Establish and maintain standard practices, troubleshooting guides, and standardized repair procedures; review and approve all related planning documents
• Support day-to-day production of bent tubes, orbital tube welding (OTW), and manually welded tubing, ensuring optimal efficiency and adherence to quality standards
• Evaluate and challenge existing production and design requirements for tubing assemblies, using data-driven insights to eliminate waste and optimize the manufacturing process
• Continuously streamline and improve production systems by proactively identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, reduce waste, and improve overall product quality

Minimum Qualifications:

• B.S. in mechanical, aerospace, manufacturing or electrical engineering, physics, mathematics, or a related technical field
• 2 + years of manufacturing experience managing a product/product line across multiple work centers and/or departments, fluid, pressurized, propulsion, or environmental control hardware in design, manufacturing, or test
• 2-4+ years of experience for Manufacturing Engineer II
• 4-6+ years of experience for Senior Manufacturing Engineer
• Hands-on fabrication, assembly, and/or integration experience; CAD proficiency (NX preferred)
• Experience with CAD tools (e.g., Siemens NX) and the ability to review designs, generate manufacturing documentation, and design assembly or test tooling

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Hands-on experience building or testing hardware, in industry or through student teams such as Formula SAE, rocketry, CubeSat, or robotics
• Experience with aerospace, spacecraft, propulsion, or other safety-critical or high-reliability hardware
• Experience taking designs or processes from concept through build or test, and from R&D to production
• Familiarity with CAD tools, ideally Siemens NX, and PLM tools such as Teamcenter
• Exposure to thermal or structural analysis using Ansys, or similar tools
• Awareness of aerospace workmanship, design, and environmental test standards such as IPC, SMC-S-016, NASA-STD-5001, or MIL-STD-810
• Proficiency applying GD&T
• Strong problem-solving skills, including troubleshooting and structured root cause analysis
• Strong attention to detail, clear communication, and the ability to work well in cross-functional teams
• Senior Level: experience mentoring engineers or technicians and managing multiple projects at once

Additional Requirements:

• Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones

Pay Ranges:

• Engineer/ Level I: $86,100.00 - $122,220.00
• Engineer/ Level II: $112,340.00 - $159,468.00
• Senior Engineer/ Level III: $137,760.00 - $195,552.00

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.

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.

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 be considered for deemed export licensing. To assist Vast in assessing its export compliance obligations in relation to your application, please identify which ITAR/EAR status applies to you:

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For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Vast's Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.