Space Simulation Technician, 3rd shift

Vast; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 27,552 - 61,992; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Generous paid time off

401(k) retirement plan

Food perks including free meals and snacks

Job summary

Vast is seeking a Space Simulation Technician for the 3rd shift in Long Beach to support the development of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations. This full-time role involves conducting thermal vacuum, vibration, and shock tests among other responsibilities. Candidates should have a minimum of 2 years of mechanical experience and a high school diploma or equivalent.

The position offers competitive pay between $20.00 to $45.00 per hour, depending on experience, along with comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision coverage, and generous paid time off. Join Vast and play a crucial role in advancing the future of space!

Qualifications

• 2+ years of hands-on mechanical experience.
• High School Diploma, equivalency certificate, or equivalent work experience.

Responsibilities

• Perform thermal vacuum, thermal cycling, vibration and shock testing.
• Support bench-top test setups and environment-specific test support systems.
• Develop and modify testing procedures as needed.
• Install required instrumentation and log data for testing.
• Maintain test lab and equipment.
• Train personnel on environmental test operation.

Skills

Hands-on mechanical experience

Troubleshooting across multiple test environments

Communication skills

Ability to work in a high-stress environment

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Job description

Company Overview

At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. Vast is developing next‑generation space stations 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. Using an incremental, hardware‑rich and low‑cost approach, Vast is rapidly developing its multi‑module Haven Station. 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, followed by additional Haven modules to enable permanent human presence by 2030. Our team is all‑in, committed to executing our mission safely and on time.

Position

Space Simulation Technician, 3rd shift, reporting to the Supervisor of Environmental Testing to support the development of the systems required for the design and build of artificial‑gravity human‑rated space stations.

Location and Employment

Full‑time non‑exempt position located in our Long Beach location.

Shift

• 3rd shift: 10pm – 6:30am

Responsibilities

• Perform thermal vacuum, thermal cycling, vibration and shock testing for development, qualification, and acceptance test campaigns.
• Support bench‑top test setups as well as environment‑specific test support systems.
• Develop and modify testing procedures to adhere to test requirements.
• Review test plans, requirements, SOWs, fixture design, etc.
• Install required instrumentation on article to test and log data to support TVAC, VIBE, thermal, and shock.
• Maintain test lab and equipment across vibe, thermal, and shock.
• Familiar with data acquisitions required to support data logging and data management.
• Aid in best practices development for test lab use and environmental testing conduct.
• Ability to train personnel on environmental test operation and process.

Minimum Qualifications

• 2+ years of hands‑on mechanical experience.
• High School Diploma, equivalency certificate, or equivalent work experience.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• 3+ years of environmental testing work experience, including vibration and thermal testing.
• Experience with facilities within the aerospace industry.
• EMI testing experience related to support and test setup.
• Ability to troubleshoot issues across multiple test environments and conditions.
• Familiar with space planning procedures and operations.
• Ability to create and update request for proposals (RFPs), purchase orders (POs) and facilities work orders in an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software.
• Ability to make independent judgments with limited information.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Communication skills for relaying data (verbally and in‑writing) between employees, vendors, and customers.
• Logical and strategic approach to solving problems.
• Comfortable working in a high‑stress environment balancing several projects at any given time, with flexibility to adjust for abrupt changes in strategic direction.
• Ability to read and understand basic schematics.
• Knowledge of computer applications and ease in navigating different software programs.
• Experience utilizing generic hand tools.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to travel up to 20% of the time.
• Willingness to work overtime or weekends to support critical mission milestones.
• Ability to lift up to 25lbs unassisted.

Pay Ranges

• Space Simulation Technician I: $20.00 – $30.00
• Space Simulation Technician II: $28.00 – $40.00
• Space Simulation Technician III: $33.00 – $45.00

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 and 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.