Test Engineer, Structures Test

Socket.dev; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 112,000 - 196,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company equity

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Generous paid time off

Parental leave

401(k) plan

ClassPass credits

Spring Health mental healthcare

Onsite meals and snacks

Job summary

Vast is seeking a Test Engineer to support Haven-1 Space Station structural testing, reporting to the Director of Structures Test. This full-time, on-site role in Long Beach collaborates with design, manufacturing, and avionics teams to ensure test readiness and mission success.

The role emphasizes designing and executing test campaigns, documentation, and continuous improvement, with travel to Mojave as needed and a focus on safety and quality.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or other engineering discipline.
• 3+ years of experience in an engineering environment (test, launch, manufacturing, etc.).
• Experience designing and executing product environmental testing and test campaigns.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute testing on primary and secondary structure of the Haven-1 Space Station.
• Mentor engineers and technicians on the team.
• Produce professional, traceable documentation for test systems.
• Design, prepare, and execute test campaigns and test stands.
• Conduct TRR/ PDR/ CDR reviews before testing begins.
• Identify root causes and drive corrective actions.

Skills

Test engineering

Structures testing

Documentation

Test planning

DAQ systems

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering

Tools

NI/Beckhoff/Dewesoft DAQ

JIRA/Confluence

CAD NX

Visio/Lucidchart

Smartsheet/Project

GIT/SVN

Teamcenter

Job description

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. If you want to work with the most talented people on Earth furthering space exploration for humanity, come join us.

Vast is looking for a Test Engineer, reporting to the Director of Structures Test, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations. This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location. In this role, you will support the ongoing development of our Haven-1 space station module, with a primary focus on primary and secondary structures testing. You will work closely with design REs, test technicians, and other teams such as Manufacturing, Integration, and Avionics to meet design/mission requirements and industry standards.

Responsibilities:

• Work under the direction of the Director of Structures Test to develop and execute testing on primary and secondary structure of the Haven-1 Space Station
• Mentor other engineers and technicians on the team
• Adhere to, enforce, and improve the test processes and good practices of Vast and the test organization
• Produce professional and traceable documentation, including electrical, mechanical, and fluid schematics of the test systems
• Work with responsible engineers to design, prepare, and execute test campaigns. This includes the manufacture of new test stands and/or operation of existing resources
• Perform all necessary design, analysis, and project management
• Conduct TRR (Test Readiness Review), PDR (Preliminary Design Review) and/or CDR (Critical Design Review) before all design/tests are started
• Find creative solutions to unique issues in order to save cost and schedule while improving overall quality and safety
• Come up with great ideas and be empowered to make them a reality
• Design, analyze, and own the test setup
• Continuous learning/Improvement—and share them with your team members
• Perform other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or other engineering discipline
• 3+ years of experience in an engineering environment (test, launch, manufacturing, etc.)

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Ability to design and perform product environmental testing based on the requirements provided in SMC-S-016, GEVS NASA-STD-7000a, MIL STD 810G. etc.
• Experience planning and executing engineering operations in a time-sensitive and high-risk environment
• Own assembly, checkouts and development test stands
• Ability to quickly understand and troubleshoot new/existing systems
• Experience writing and executing test plans/procedures in collaboration with design engineers
• Experience with designing and implementing instrumentation systems
• Experience in structural design and analysis of test fixtures
• Experience working across engineering groups to define requirements and implement solutions
• Execute deliverables based on prioritized implementation plans and timelines
• Ability to rapidly change priorities between several projects
• Identify key unknowns and quickly close knowledge gaps
• Deliver the highest value results quickly and iterate towards successive milestones
• Perform structured root cause analysis of test failures
• Experience designing and/or working with closed-loop control systems (hydraulic/ pressure systems)
• Experience with working with DAQ software i.e. NI, Beckoff, and/or Dewesoft
• Experience working with DAQ hardware i.e. NI, Beckoff, and/or Dewesoft
• Experience operating / working with high-pressure gas systems
• Experience generating test system P&IDs (Piping and Instrumentation Diagram) using Visio / Lucidchart or equivalent
• Experience with creating and maintaining project schedules with Smartsheet, Project or equivalent
• Experience with SVN, GIT, or other version management systems
• Experience with Teamcenter or other PLM systems
• Experience with CAD systems, NX preferable
• Experience with JIRA and/or Confluence
• Experience with selection of precision sensor and measurement devices (i.e. loadcells, thermocouples, pressure sensors, deflection transducers)
• Ability to thrive as an individual contributor and as part of a team
• Ability to add something unique and positive to our team
• Generally high level of all-around awesomeness

Additional Requirements:

• Must be able to travel to our Mojave Test site (~25% of the time)
• Must be able to work varying hours/shifts and available for extended hours as well as weekends when needed
• Must be able to stoop, bend, crawl, and be able to maneuver in tight spaces; physically able to handle items weighing up to 25lbs (unassisted)
• Ability and desire to perform in a fast-paced, rapidly changing work environment

Pay Range: California $112,340 — $195,552 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. 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.