Senior Structures Engineer, Lunar

Vast; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 137,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Paid time off

401(k) plan

Snacks

Coffee service

Lunch subsidy

Job summary

Vast is seeking a Senior Structural Engineer to serve as the accountable owner for end-to-end lunar engineering projects, including habitation modules, airlocks, nodes and pallets. You will develop CAD models (NX or equivalent) and lead interfaces with subsystems, coordinating with Life Support, Thermal, Power, and Avionics teams.

The role requires 5+ years in aerospace pressurized hardware design, strong GD&T experience, and a proven track record from design through hardware delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field of engineering.
• 5+ years of aerospace structural design with end-to-end ownership.
• 5+ years of CAD/FEA and GD&T (ASME Y14.5) experience.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end structural design of lunar hardware from concept through delivery.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts to integrate with NASA Moon Base architecture.
• Develop CAD models and drawings for primary and secondary structures.
• Analyze loads, vibrations, and thermal environments for lunar design decisions.
• Lead interfaces with subsystems such as pressure vessels and hatches.
• Define test plans and supervise verification of structural hardware.
• Support hardware bring-up, testing, and issue resolution.
• Represent the subsystem in design reviews across teams.

Skills

Structural design

Aerospace hardware

CAD and FEA

GD&T ASME Y14.5

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Civil Engineering, Physics, Mathematics

Additional engineering discipline preferred

Tools

NX or equivalent

FEA software

Job description

Responsibilities

• Serve as the accountable owner (Responsible Engineer) for end-to-end lunar engineering projects such as habitation modules, airlocks, nodes, and pallets.
• Work with lunar subject matter experts and systems architects to bring lunar concepts to reality that mesh with Vast’s larger lunar ecosystem and NASA’s Moon Base architecture.
• Own the design and CAD (NX or equivalent) development of primary and secondary structures for lunar ecosystem.
• Develop understanding of static and dynamic loads, vibrations, thermal, and other environmental considerations unique to the lunar surface to drive design decisions.
• Define structural requirements, design loads, and safety margins for a human-rated pressurized structure operating in the lunar environment.
• Perform mechanical design and analysis, develop manufacturing drawings, following hardware through the entire process from concept to build.
• Lead trades and own interfaces with subsystems, including pressure vessel architecture, hatch/seal mechanisms, and material selection for lunar exposure conditions.
• Work with fabricators and technicians to improve designs, develop processes, and resolve issues.
• Define and execute test and verification plans, including structural, pressure, and hatch/seal performance testing.
• Support hardware bring-up, checkout, and anomaly resolution during build and test.
• Represent the subsystem at design reviews, coordinating with Life Support (ECLSS), Thermal, Power, and Avionics teams on interface requirements.
• Help establish design standards and practices for the Lunar program as its first structures hire.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Civil Engineering, Physics, Mathematics or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in structural design of aerospace pressurized or human-rated hardware, with direct ownership from design through hardware delivery.
• 5+ years of experience with CAD and FEA software packages (NX or equivalent) and experience with GD&T implementation and analysis (ASME Y14.5).
• Demonstrated experience owning a structural hardware item end-to-end (design, build, and test), not solely in an analysis capacity.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience working on lunar engineering programs.
• Design of structures and components for a high-performance vehicle or spacecraft.
• Experience designing pressure vessels, hatches, or airlock mechanisms for crewed spacecraft or habitats.
• Familiarity with spacecraft structural specifications such as SMC-S-016 and NASA-STD-5001.
• Analysis work in recent versions of Ansys, Femap/Nastran, or Abaqus.
• Experience leading hardware through structural verification testing (proof pressure, burst, functional seal/hatch cycling).
• Familiarity with the lunar surface or deep-space thermal, radiation, and solar environment (or equivalent extreme-environment design experience).
• Prior experience in a fast-paced commercial space or startup hardware environment, comfortable with high ownership and limited process overhead.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to travel up to 5% of the time to support vendors, partnership or customer meetings.
• Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones.

Pay Range: California

$137,000—$230,000 USD

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.

• medical coverage for employees and dependents
• dental coverage for employees and dependents
• vision coverage for employees and dependents
• generous paid time off
• up to 20+ days of vacation for exempt staff
• up to 10+ days of vacation for non-exempt staff with the ability to cash-out unused vacation annually
• paid parental leave
• short-term disability insurance
• long-term disability insurance
• life insurance
• access to a 401(k) retirement plan
• ClassPass credits
• personalized mental healthcare through Spring Health
• other discounts and perks
• snacks
• drip coffee & onsite barista
• cold drinks
• dinner meals remaining free of charge
• 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.