At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. We are building artificial gravity space stations, allowing long-term stays in space without the adverse effects of zero-gravity. Our initial crewed space habitat will be Haven-1, scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station when it launches into low earth orbit in May 2026. 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 an Additive Manufacturing Engineer, reporting to the Principal Engineer of E-2 Manufacturing, 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 Hawthorne location.
Responsibilities:
- Optimize and develop all aspects of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing.
- Develop new additive applications, processes, and material parameters to expand printing capabilities.
- Collaborate with design, analysis, quality, manufacturing and responsible engineers.
- Work hands-on with additive platforms, including optimization, troubleshooting, and calibration, while coordinating with OEMs for improvements.
- Investigate and develop new additive technologies to meet business needs and launch initiatives.
- Produce and improve reports, procedures, and manuals to document results and refine development processes.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in materials science, welding, mechanical, aerospace, or related engineering discipline.
- 2+ years of experience in propulsion design or the development of metallic additive technologies.
Preferred Skills and Experience:
- Excellent interpersonal skills for collaborating with engineering and manufacturing groups.
- Strong knowledge of first principles and engineering fundamentals.
- Deep expertise in metal additive manufacturing technology.
- Highly self-motivated, with the ability to prioritize and execute tasks in a fast-paced environment.
- Master’s degree in a related field.
- 2+ years of LPBF experience with large-scale multi-laser additive platforms, including:
- Operation and modification of additive machines
- Parameter and applications development
- Optics and laser systems
- Process control improvements
- Demonstrated technical experience in:
- Printing aluminum, copper, and/or nickel based alloys
- Design for additive manufacturing (DFAM)
- Build file creation and optimization
- Multifactorial design of experiments (DOE)
- Aerospace flight qualification processes and specifications
- Knowledge of various additive and subtractive manufacturing and joining techniques for metals.
- Proficiency in principles of compressible and incompressible flow, thermodynamics, thermochemistry, mechanics, materials, and electrical circuits.
- NX, Manufacturo, and Teamcenter experience.
Additional Requirements:
- Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones.
- Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted.
Pay Range:
- Additive Manufacturing Engineer I: $82,000 - $100,000
- Additive Manufacturing Engineer II: $100,000 - $125,000
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
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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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