Program Manager, Special and Commercial Programs

Socket.dev; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 143,000 - 203,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company equity

Comprehensive benefits (medical,Dental

Onsite meals & snacks

Job summary

Vast, based in Long Beach, CA, seeks an experienced Proposal Manager to lead end-to-end proposal development for high-value DoW/IC and commercial satellite bus opportunities. The role requires TS/SCI clearance, extensive defense proposal background, and the ability to coordinate across engineering, legal, contracts, and finance teams.

Location is Long Beach, CA, with full-time exempt status. The position emphasizes winning strategies, compliance, and collaboration with senior leadership to shape

Qualifications

• 10+ years of proposal management experience, incl. DoW/IC customers.
• Experience with FAR 15.408 and cost/pricing data.
• Experience with complex engineering projects or space mission systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end proposal development for DoW/IC and commercial satellite bus pursuits.
• Develop win strategies, strengths, themes communicated across sections.
• Maintain proposal schedules, compliance matrices, and coordination with leadership and functions.
• Ensure compliance with Section L/M requirements and manage proposal writers and SMEs.

Skills

Proposal management

DoW/IC experience

TS/SCI clearance

Citizenship

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering, business, or writing

Tools

SCIF environment

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 seeking an experienced Proposal Manager reporting to the Director, CLD Proposal Management, to lead proposal development for our high-power satellite bus in support of our Special Programs and Commercial Programs. This role is central to our growth strategy, owning the end-to-end proposal lifecycle for high-value opportunities with the Department of War (DoW), Intelligence Community (IC), Space Force, and commercial satellite customers. The ideal candidate combines deep proposal management discipline with firsthand knowledge of how space hardware programs are won and executed. This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location.

Responsibilities

• Lead the entire proposal development process for DoW, IC, and commercial satellite bus pursuits.
• Develop the win strategies and key strengths of Vast and ensure that these are communicated throughout the proposal sections.
• Develop and enforce proposal schedules, compliance matrices, and win themes in coordination with Vast Senior Leadership, Business Development, Engineering, Legal, Contracts, and Finance.
• Serve as the central integrator across technical, management, cost, and past performance volumes, ensuring full compliance with Section L/M (or equivalent) requirements.
• Lead color team reviews (pink/red/gold) and manage proposal writers, subject matter experts, and desktop publishing/graphics support.
• Support classified proposal efforts, including managing material in SCIFs or other controlled facilities as required.
• Partner with Business Development and Capture Managers early in the pursuit lifecycle to shape win strategy, teaming arrangements, and discriminators.
• Support debrief analysis and continuous process improvement for the proposal function.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering, business, or writing discipline.
• 10 years of proposal management experience, with a substantial portion supporting Defense and/or Intelligence Community customers.
• Experience with the entire proposal development, negotiation, and award process including industry days, Requests for Information (RFIs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), pre-award discussions, and post-award customer kick offs.
• Familiarity with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.408, Table 15-2 requirements for submitting certified cost or pricing data in contract proposals.
• Experience working with teams on complex engineering projects or research and development efforts, ideally within satellite or space mission systems.
• Experience with satellite bus, payload, or space mission systems architecture, integration, and operations (e.g., communications; remote sensing; Global Position System/Pointing, Navigation, and Timing (GPS/PNT); space control; or space domain awareness missions).
• Experience with Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) and Special Access Programs (SAP), particularly in classified space or satellite mission system contexts.
• Active TS/SCI clearance, or a prior TS/SCI clearance eligible for reinstatement, required. Candidates without an active clearance but with clearance history will be prioritized for their ability to be re-cleared quickly.
• U.S. Citizenship (required for clearance eligibility).
• Track record of managing multiple successful, large-scale proposal wins with the DoW and/or the IC beyond Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Administration (SBA) set-aside awards.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate complex technical content into clear, compliant, and compelling proposal narrative.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Demonstrated success in managing, writing, and winning large proposals ($100M+) for DoW, IC, and commercial satellite customers.
• Experience managing proposals in a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF)/classified environment.
• Strong engineering background with technical expertise in aerospace or space programs.
• Familiarity with industry standards, regulations, and best practices in spaceflight hardware and proposal development.
• Ability to work in a fast paced and nimble environment that is building internal processes in parallel to building our commercial satellite business.

Pay Range: California

• $143,000 — $203,000 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.

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.