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 a Specialized Skills Officer, reporting to the Manager, Security Operations, you will help to proactively protect our people, property, space stations, mission control, astronauts, and more. This position is responsible for advanced security enforcement and facility protection, and we are looking for someone with extensive training, specialized skills, executive protection, and prior experience in law enforcement, military, or high-security environments. The Level III Officer operates as part of a team, ensuring the highest level of security for critical aerospace operations.
This will be a full-time, non-exempt position located at our Long Beach office.
Responsibilities:
- Act as part of the Protect team to ensure all employees, visitors, customers, and guests have a safe visit and are treated well.
- Conduct security patrols and monitor high-value areas, ensuring strict adherence to facility security policies.
- Respond to security incidents, access breaches, or emergency situations, assisting in containment and resolution as directed.
- Support executive protection and asset security as assigned.
- Notify employees when guests or packages arrive.
- Regularly patrol campus interior and perimeter areas.
- Provide tactical support in evacuations and emergency response situations in coordination with company security teams and external responders.
- Maintain proficiency in defensive tactics and de-escalation techniques, participating in regular training exercises.
- Assist in security assessments, vulnerability checks, and incident investigations, working closely with security management and compliance teams.
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local security regulations, including handling restricted materials and ensuring aerospace industry security standards are met.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Active LEOSA (HR218) credential (will ask for proof in screening interview).
- 8+ years of experience in military, law enforcement, or a similar tactical role.
- Proficiency in defensive tactics and conflict de-escalation (certifications in advanced tactical training preferred).
- Completion of a certified defensive driving or executive protection driving course (such as EVOC, VIP protection driving, or tactical vehicle operations).
- Strong working knowledge of industrial security procedures and emergency response protocols.
- Ability to operate effectively within a team, following established security procedures and chain of command.
- Must pass an extensive background check and company security training program.
- Excellent situational awareness, decision-making, and crisis management abilities.
- Current BSIS Guard Card
- High school diploma or equivalency certificate
Preferred Skills and Experience:
- Qualified Manager (QM) certification for BSIS PPO or ability to obtain certification.
- High level of customer service skills
- The ability to verbally de-escalate a situation
Additional Qualifications:
- Must be available to work all required shift hours, overtime, and weekends, to support critical mission milestones
- Must be able to work in severe climate conditions: heat, wind, and cold
Compensation:
- Specialized Skills Officer: $35.53 - $51.11
Salary Range: California
$35.53—$51.11 USD
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: 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, flexible paid time off for exempt staff and up to 10 days of vacation for non-exempt staff, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, One Medical membership, 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, 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.
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.
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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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