Senior Technical Recruiter

Vast; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 122,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Employer equity

Generous PTO and vacation

401(k)

Job summary

Vast in Long Beach is seeking a Senior Technical Recruiter to drive full-cycle recruitment for our satellite program, covering thermal, avionics, power, propulsion, GNC, flight software, and manufacturing disciplines. The role reports to the Manager, Talent Acquisition and is based on-site in Long Beach.

The recruiter will partner with executives and hiring managers to design role requirements, build pipelines, and manage an efficient interview process while delivering an exceptional candidate

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of full-cycle technical recruiting experience, including hardware or aerospace engineering roles.
• Strong domain knowledge in at least one of the following: thermal, avionics, power, propulsion, GNC, flight software, or manufacturing.
• Exposure to the other disciplines, or a demonstrated ability to ramp quickly in new technical areas.
• Experience managing multiple searches simultaneously in a fast-paced environment with limited support.
• Strong business acumen and executive presence, with experience advising senior leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to source and engage passive candidates.

Responsibilities

• Own full-cycle recruiting from intake through offer acceptance across multiple open roles and disciplines, as the sole recruiter supporting the satellite program.
• Partner with hiring managers and executive leaders to define role requirements, interview plans, headcount priorities, and hiring timelines, and provide candid advice on market conditions.
• Develop and execute sourcing strategies by discipline to identify and engage top and passive candidates across aerospace, satellite, defense, and advanced hardware.
• Build working knowledge across technical disciplines to run credible intake conversations, screen candidates, and talk through the work with them.
• Manage candidate pipelines and drive an efficient and engaging interview process.
• Facilitate interview debriefs and guide hiring teams through candidate evaluation and decision-making.
• Lead offer discussions and help close candidates while maintaining a strong candidate experience.
• Track recruiting metrics, pass-through rates, and pipeline health, and report progress toward hiring goals to leadership.
• Ensure consistent recruiting processes and documentation within the ATS.
• Represent Vast’s mission and value proposition to candidates throughout the hiring process.

Skills

Full-cycle recruiting

Hardware/aerospace knowledge

Sourcing passive candidates

Managing multiple searches

Executive presence

Advising senior leaders

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Greenhouse ATS

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 Technical Recruiter, reporting to theManager, Talent Acquisition, to support the growth of Vast Satellite, our new line of high-power satellite buses built on the technology proven by Haven Demo and developed for the Haven space stations. This person will be the dedicated recruiter for the program, hiring across thermal, avionics, power, propulsion, GNC, flight software, and manufacturing.

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

Responsibilities

• Own full-cycle recruiting from intake through offer acceptance across multiple open roles and disciplines, as the sole recruiter supporting the satellite program
• Partner with hiring managers and executive leaders to define role requirements, interview plans, headcount priorities, and hiring timelines, and provide candid advice on market conditions
• Develop and execute sourcing strategies by discipline to identify and engage top and passive candidates across aerospace, satellite, defense, and advanced hardware
• Build working knowledge across technical disciplines to run credible intake conversations, screen candidates, and talk through the work with them
• Manage candidate pipelines and drive an efficient and engaging interview process
• Facilitate interview debriefs and guide hiring teams through candidate evaluation and decision-making
• Lead offer discussions and help close candidates while maintaining a strong candidate experience
• Track recruiting metrics, pass-through rates, and pipeline health, and report progress toward hiring goals to leadership
• Ensure consistent recruiting processes and documentation within the ATS
• Represent Vast’s mission and value proposition to candidates throughout the hiring process

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• 5+ years of full-cycle technical recruiting experience, including hardware or aerospace engineering roles
• Strong domain knowledge in at least one of the following: thermal, avionics, power, propulsion, GNC, flight software, or manufacturing
• Exposure to the other disciplines, or a demonstrated ability to ramp quickly in new technical areas
• Experience managing multiple searches simultaneously in a fast-paced environment with limited support
• Strong business acumen and executive presence, with experience advising senior leaders
• Demonstrated ability to source and engage passive candidates

Preferred Experience

• We are particularly interested in candidates with recruiting experience across several of the following areas:
  • Avionics, Electrical Engineering, Thermal Controls, Power Systems, Propulsion, GNC, Software, and Structures
  • Manufacturing and production engineering
  • Hardware engineering roles including mechanical, electrical, design, and structural

Additional Preferred Experience:

• Experience in space, satellite, defense, or other regulated hardware industries
• Experience using Greenhouse or similar ATS
• Ability to operate autonomously and manage competing priorities
• Strong attention to detail and process discipline
• Experience supporting a program through rapid scale-up, or working in high-growth or fast-scaling organizations

Pay Range: California

$122,000 - $165,000 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: