Director, People Business Partners

<div class="content-intro"><div style="font-family: 'Instrument Sans', 'Segoe UI', Trebuchet MS, Tahoma, sans-serif;"> <p style="line-height: 1.4;">Vast is developing next-generation <strong>space stations and space infrastructure</strong> using an incremental, hardware-rich, and low-cost approach. Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station 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. 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 2027, followed by additional Haven modules. Additionally, the company recently announced <strong>Vast Satellite</strong>, a high-power satellite product line leveraging its space station components and the heritage of Haven Demo.</p> <p style="line-height: 1.4;">Headquartered in<strong> Long Beach, California</strong>, and with more than 1,000 employees and over a billion dollars in private capital, Vast has built the facilities required to manufacture and operate America’s next space station. The company plans to develop future habitats and systems for the Moon and Mars, dedicated space stations for government partners, and other crewed systems that will unlock the expanding long-term space economy.</p> </div></div><div class="content-intro"> <p>Vast is looking for a <strong>Director, People Business Partners</strong> to lead our People Business Partner team, reporting into the Chief People Officer. The People Team drives our values of respect, curiosity, action, and excellence across our diverse teams and workforce in multiple locations. We work together to empower our teams to hire and retain thoughtful and passionate innovators, help people do their best work, grow their careers, and build healthy and productive workspaces in a safe and cohesive community.</p> <p>As Director, you will lead the team of People Business Partners (currently ~7 team members) , who serve as the primary People Team interface to every organization at Vast, from Engineering and Manufacturing to Mission Operations and corporate functions. You will set the strategy, standards, and operating rhythm for how business partnering is delivered across a company that is growing quickly in headcount, geography, and product scope: Vast today operates across California, Houston, Washington, D.C., Japan, and France, and is building a multi-product business spanning Haven space stations, Vast Satellite, and future products still to come. You will coach a high-performing team of practitioners and act as a trusted advisor to executive leaders on organizational design, talent, and change during a period of rapid growth and mission-critical milestones. This role may be leveled as Senior Director for a candidate with the depth and breadth of experience to match.</p> <p>This will be a <strong>full-time, exempt</strong> position located at our <strong>Long Beach</strong> location.</p> <br> <p><strong>Responsibilities:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Develop and own the People Business Partner strategy and multi-year operating model for the team, defining how business partnering scales with Vast's continued growth in headcount, sites, and product lines, and evolving team structure, coverage, and capability to stay ahead of the business.</li> <li>Lead, develop, and inspire the People Business Partner team, setting clear priorities, coaching for impact, and building the capability and career growth of each team member.</li> <li>Serve as a strategic advisor to Vast's executive leaders and their teams on organizational design, workforce planning, leadership effectiveness, talent management, and change leadership as the company scales.</li> <li>Define and continuously improve the People Business Partner operating model — including coverage, service standards, escalation paths, and how the team engages with Centers of Excellence such as Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, People Operations, Talent Development, and Employee Relations.</li> <li>Drive alignment, clear ownership, and  successful execution of company-wide people programs through  the PBP team, including performance management, goal setting, cyclical performance & compensation cycles and succession planning </li> <li>Translate business strategy into people strategy, partnering with leaders to anticipate organizational needs ahead of major program and production milestones.</li> <li>Bring a strategic, enterprise-wide mindset to Vast's geographic footprint, designing business partner coverage and practices that work across our locations in California, Houston, Washington, D.C., Japan, and France, and partnering with Legal, People Operations, and local leadership to navigate differing employment frameworks, cultural norms, and growth trajectories at each site.</li> <li>Support Vast's evolution into a multi-product company, partnering with leaders across Haven space stations, Vast Satellite, and future product lines to shape organizational structures, talent strategies, and ways of working that allow each business to scale while sharing a common culture and people infrastructure.</li> <li>Coach senior leaders and managers on building high-performing, inclusive teams, navigating complex organizational dynamics and changes, and delivering meaningful performance feedback.</li> <li>Champion employee engagement across the company, using survey data, exit and stay insights, and frontl