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 Supplier Quality Engineer Intern, reporting to the Staff Electronics Piece Parts Engineer to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of human-rated space stations. This will be a full-time 12-week internship located in our Long Beach, CA location.
This role is the foundation of reliability in each system of our space vehicles. Success of this role is measured in silence. When all goes right, there is no area that this role does not directly impact.
Responsibilities:
- Communicate screening and testing requirements to various internal departments (e.g. Procurement, Engineering, Quality, Mission Assurance, Materials and Processes, Manufacturing), and to external suppliers.
- Submit Requests for Quote to external suppliers for screening and testing of EEE components.
- Document the results of component screening and testing
- Obtain and record test report data, reliability data, and supplier quality data.
- Assist in the development and implementation of processes to screen and test various component types for suitability in spaceflight applications.
- Submit and receive Requests for Quote from external suppliers to conduct screening and testing of EEE components.
- Manage component screening, from identification of requirements to documentation of results.
- Obtain and record test report data and reliability data of components.
- Work among various internal departments to develop and conduct supplier audits.
- Document and record the results of supplier audits
- Identify and document Supplier non-conformances, and work with deficient suppliers to achieve the requirements of Vast Space.
- Analyze and communicate the requirements of published industry standards as applicable to EEE parts used in the high-reliability environment of spaceflight applications.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Qualified candidates must be enrolled in a Bachelor's or Master’s degree program from an accredited college or university in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or other related engineering disciplines
- Ability to work full-time onsite in Long Beach, CA
Preferred Skills & Experience:
- Experience with facilities within an aerospace industry
- Familiar with space planning procedures and operations
- Knowledge of computer applications and the ability to easily navigate through different computer software programs
- 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 work effectively in a team environment
- Ability to make independent judgments with limited information
- Communication skills for relaying data (verbally and in-writing) between other 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, and the flexibility to adjust for abrupt changes in strategic direction.
Additional Requirements:
- Willingness to work overtime, or weekends to support critical mission milestones
- Ability to lift up to 25lbs unassisted
Pay Range:
- Engineering Bachelor’s: $35/hr
- Engineering Master’s: $40/hr
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.
Skills Required
- Enrolled in a Bachelor's or Master's degree program in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or related engineering discipline
- Ability to work full-time onsite in Long Beach, CA
- Willingness to work overtime or weekends to support critical mission milestones
- Ability to lift up to 25lbs unassisted
- U.S. export control compliance: must be a U.S. person (citizen, national, lawful permanent resident, asylee or refugee) or otherwise eligible for deemed export licensing
- Experience with facilities within an aerospace industry
- Familiarity with space planning procedures and operations
- Knowledge of computer applications and ability to navigate different software programs
- Ability to create and update RFPs, POs, and facilities work orders in ERP software
- Effective teamwork, communication (written and verbal), independent judgment, and problem-solving in high-stress environments
Vast Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Vast and has not been reviewed or approved by Vast.
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Healthcare Strength — Company materials describe comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents from day one, alongside primary care and mental‑health programs. These provisions are repeatedly emphasized as a core part of the total rewards package.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Information highlights generous PTO with an annual cash‑out option, paid parental leave, sick time, and company holidays, with flexible PTO for exempt staff. These features indicate broad time‑off support across multiple needs.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Onsite meals and snacks, fitness memberships or stipends, and wellness resources (e.g., One Medical and Spring Health) are prominently offered. Such perks appear designed to enhance daily work experience and overall wellbeing.
Vast Insights
What We Do
Vast is developing next-generation space stations to ensure 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 in 2026, followed by additional Haven modules to enable permanent human presence by 2030. With more than 1,000 employees at its Long Beach, California headquarters and over a billion dollars in private capital invested, Vast has built the facilities required to manufacture and operate America’s next space station. The company plans to develop future habitats for the Moon and Mars, dedicated space stations for government partners, and other crewed systems that will unlock the expanding long-term space economy.
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