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 Head of Mission Management reporting to the Chief Operating Officer. In this role, you will shape Vast’s technical direction, customer experience, and programmatic success as we build the next generation of human-rated commercial space stations. This role provides executive ownership and contract execution for Vast’s NASA CLD program, end-to-end crewed mission management for Haven missions, and transportation providers. In addition, you will own the human certification process for all missions.
This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location.
Responsibilities:
- Lead a team of mission managers responsible for crew, payload, & transportation provider contract execution and integration of teams across the company to achieve mission and program needs.
- Responsible for all missions achieving human certification requirements.
- Serve as the primary technical interface to customers such as NASA and major stakeholders, leading reviews and presenting mission designs, trade studies, risks, and program recommendations. Accountable for customer happiness and success throughout the program life cycle.
- Lead all aspects of NASA’s Commercial LEO Destinations program execution including capture, proposal development, contract award, verification, certification, integration, test, and flight operations.
- Oversee end-to-end delivery of crewed and payload missions, including providing technical pre-sales support, customer onboarding, mission unique requirement accommodation, training, launch, on-orbit operations, return, rehabilitation, and all ICD development and control.
- Own and execute the human certification process ensuring all teams achieve the rigorous standards necessary for human spaceflight safety.
- Direct development and execution of integrated mission and program schedules, ensuring all milestones, deliverables, and payment events are achieved on time.
- Build, mentor, and scale high-performing engineering, mission, and proposal teams, fostering clarity, prioritization, and strong decision-making across the program.
- Collaborate across all business functions including engineering, production, supply chain and operations to assess vehicle readiness, evaluate design trades, and manage risks that impact mission requirements and launch timelines.
- Ensure all customer deliverables are completed on time and in full accordance with contractual and payment milestone requirements.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
- 10+ years of leadership experience within space missions or spaceflight organizations.
- 10+ years of experience in spacecraft or payload design, testing, and/or hardware delivery.
- Proven experience interfacing with government agencies—ideally NASA—on complex technical programs.
- Strong background in systems engineering or technical program management for space missions.
Preferred Skills & Experience:
- Ability to execute complex project management that drives a project schedule forward, while minimizing the overall impact to other engineering efforts across the company.
- Experience building and leading engineering and cross-functional teams.
- Ability to own and manage multiple concurrent development and test programs with varied timelines.
- Be a simplifier of topics, able to easily interact with management and team members with a focus on improving business performance. Comfortable driving team performance while balancing the needs of a fast growth tech company in a rapidly changing environment.
Additional Requirements:
- Ability to travel up to 25% of the time.
- Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones.
Pay Range:
- Head of Mission Management: $250,000 -$350,000
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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