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) Production Manager, reporting to the Sr. Manager, Structures 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 daily execution of build plan across assigned work centers (safety, quality, delivery)
- Lead supervisors and technicians to achieve takt-based production targets
- Identify and escalate production blockers to Engineering, Quality, or Program teams
- Partner with Manufacturing Engineering (ME) and Design Engineering to resolve build issues and improve manufacturability
- Drive adherence to work instructions, planning, and configuration control
- Monitor and improve key production metrics (throughput, labor hours, rework, scrap)
- Ensure staffing plans and shift coverage support program milestones
- Maintain visual management of production status and recovery plans
- Support implementation of PFMEA-driven process controls and standard work
Minimum Qualifications:
- 5+ years of experience in aerospace, automotive, or other high-complexity manufacturing environments
- 2+ years of experience leading production teams in an assembly or fabrication environment
- Experience working cross-functionally with Manufacturing Engineering and Design teams
Preferred Skills & Experience:
- Experience supporting vehicle structures or final integration environments
- Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing principles and PFMEA
- Ability to interpret engineering drawings and production planning
- Experience scaling from development to higher-rate production
- Strong escalation judgment and production recovery planning
Additional Requirements:
- Ability to travel up to 25% of the time
- Willingness to work overtime, or weekends to support critical mission milestones
- Ability to lift up to 25lbs unassisted
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
Top Skills
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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