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(n) Principal Process Cleanline Engineer reporting to the Director of Fluid Systems 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 Long Beach location.
Responsibilities:
- Own and manage all precision cleaning processes at Vast
- Conceptualize, develop, and implement critical FOD control or cleaning processes to enable mission success
- Establish and enforce cleanliness control best practices across the Haven program to meet requirements for human-rated space stations
- Collaborate with quality assurance, Integration, Structures, Fluid Systems, and more to determine FOD mitigation, inspection, and removal processes.
- Challenge existing production and design requirements for cleanliness to ensure processes can meet production rate.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field
- Experience with complex assembly manufacturing in a fast-paced environment
- 8+ years of process or manufacturing engineering experience, preferably in precision cleaning process development
- Strong familiarity with IEST and other relevant cleanliness standards
Preferred Skills & Experience:
- 10+ years experience working in precision cleaning process development
- Experience working in a fast-paced manufacturing environment
- Extensive experience driving FOD control protocol development
- Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams
Additional Requirements:
- Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones
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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