Senior Avionics Engineer, Lunar

Vast; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 147,000 - 249,000; Full time

Job summary

Vast is seeking a Senior Avionics Engineer to lead avionics architecture and hardware development for the Lunar Program in Long Beach. You will own flight avionics design, verification, and integration from architecture through flight, partnering with GNC, flight software, power, and thermal teams.

This full-time, exempt role requires a strong background in aerospace avionics, radiation-tolerant design, and hands-on PCB/schematic work, plus mentoring of engineers as the team grows.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• 6+ years of experience designing, developing, and testing avionics or electrical hardware for aerospace, defense, or similarly demanding applications.
• Demonstrated ownership of hardware from design through test and integration.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Responsible Engineer for avionics subsystems and components, owning requirements, design, analysis, build, test, and flight readiness
• Define and develop avionics architecture for lunar vehicles and systems, including flight computers, power distribution, data handling, communications, sensors, and harnessing
• Design and develop flight electronics, including schematic capture, PCB layout oversight, component selection, and box-level design, with attention to radiation, thermal, and environmental constraints beyond LEO
• Write and manage avionics requirements and interface control documents, and work closely with GNC, flight software, propulsion, power, thermal, and structures teams to close interfaces
• Lead design reviews (CoDR, PDR, CDR) and present technical trades, analyses, and risks to program and engineering leadership
• Plan and execute development, qualification, and acceptance test campaigns for avionics hardware, including functional, EMI/EMC, random vibration, shock, thermal cycling, and TVAC testing
• Build and maintain avionics test benches, hardware-in-the-loop setups, and ground support equipment for checkout and integration
• Support integration of avionics into vehicle-level systems, and troubleshoot hardware, firmware, and interface issues through integrated testing
• Partner with suppliers on procurement, design reviews, and acceptance of avionics components and assemblies
• Drive reliability, parts selection, derating, and failure analysis practices, and own corrective actions on non-conformances
• Help scope and grow the Lunar avionics team, mentoring engineers and technicians as new hires join

Skills

Embedded systems

Flight computers

Power electronics

Data bus architectures

Schematic capture

PCB design

Python

C/C++

MATLAB

Mentoring engineers

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field

Tools

Altium

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 Senior Avionics Engineer to support our Lunar Program, reporting to the Senior Vice President, Lunar Programs. As the first dedicated avionics engineer on the program, you will serve as a Responsible Engineer for flight avionics hardware, owning design, development, qualification, and integration from early architecture through flight. You will help define how the Lunar program builds avionics: setting the architecture, design standards, and verification practices that the team will inherit as the program scales.

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

Responsibilities

• Serve as Responsible Engineer for avionics subsystems and components, owning requirements, design, analysis, build, test, and flight readiness
• Define and develop avionics architecture for lunar vehicles and systems, including flight computers, power distribution, data handling, communications, sensors, and harnessing
• Design and develop flight electronics, including schematic capture, PCB layout oversight, component selection, and box-level design, with attention to radiation, thermal, and environmental constraints beyond LEO
• Write and manage avionics requirements and interface control documents, and work closely with GNC, flight software, propulsion, power, thermal, and structures teams to close interfaces
• Lead design reviews (CoDR, PDR, CDR) and present technical trades, analyses, and risks to program and engineering leadership
• Plan and execute development, qualification, and acceptance test campaigns for avionics hardware, including functional, EMI/EMC, random vibration, shock, thermal cycling, and TVAC testing
• Build and maintain avionics test benches, hardware-in-the-loop setups, and ground support equipment for checkout and integration
• Support integration of avionics into vehicle-level systems, and troubleshoot hardware, firmware, and interface issues through integrated testing
• Partner with suppliers on procurement, design reviews, and acceptance of avionics components and assemblies
• Drive reliability, parts selection, derating, and failure analysis practices, and own corrective actions on non-conformances
• Help scope and grow the Lunar avionics team, mentoring engineers and technicians as new hires join

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related engineering discipline
• 6+ years of experience designing, developing, and testing avionics or electrical hardware for aerospace, defense, or similarly demanding applications
• Demonstrated ownership of hardware from design through test and integration

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience serving as Responsible Engineer for spaceflight avionics through qualification and flight
• Experience with embedded systems, flight computers, power electronics, and data bus architectures (e.g., RS-422, CAN, SpaceWire, Ethernet, MIL-STD-1553)
• Experience designing for radiation environments, including part selection, single-event effects mitigation, and total ionizing dose considerations for beyond-LEO or lunar missions
• Proficiency with schematic capture and PCB design tools (e.g., Altium) and the ability to read and interpret schematics, harness drawings, and interface documentation
• Experience with environmental and EMI/EMC testing for spaceflight hardware
• Experience with coding languages (Python, C/C++, MATLAB) for test automation, firmware support, and data analysis
• Experience standing up new hardware capability, labs, or teams in a fast-paced, resource-constrained environment
• Demonstrated experience mentoring or leading engineers and technicians, formally or informally
• Ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams and operate independently with limited direction, thriving in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment

Additional Requirements

• Willingness to travel to test sites, including Mojave and supplier or outside test facilities, as required
• Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones
  

Pay Range: California

$147,000 - $249,000 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.

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:

Voluntary Self-Identification

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.