Lead Integration Build Engineer

<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><p>Vast is looking for a <strong>Lead Integration Build Engineer,</strong>  reporting to the <strong>Manager, Integration</strong>, to support the development of the systems required for the  build and test of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations. </p> <p>As a lead for the Integration Build Engineering team, you will develop creative solutions to complex assembly, integration, and test problems. You will play a critical role in our development and production teams for identifying and defining human-rated vehicle processes, and growing a team that exists at the center of Haven-1 execution. Your input will be vital in transitioning the space station from design to a built and tested station ready to host humans in space. </p> <p>This will be a <strong>full-time</strong>, <strong>exempt </strong>position located in our <strong>Long Beach </strong>location. </p> <p><strong>Responsibilities: </strong></p> <ul> <li>Lead and grow a team of engineers and specialists charged with developing, scaling, and maintaining the facilities, tooling, and processes used to build, test, and integrate flight hardware for Haven-1</li> <li>Support day-to-day execution of hardware production and vehicle-level integration, ensuring builds are safe, on schedule, cost-effective, and produce hardware that performs on orbit</li> <li>Operate as an interdisciplinary engineer that can  collect production requirements, then plan and execute the build, integration, and validation of flight hardware against those requirements </li> <li>Design and implement tooling and fixture solutions that are required for all phases of Haven-1’s integration campaigns</li> <li>Challenge existing design and process requirements, remove unnecessary steps, and optimize the build for a highly reliable vehicle that can meet schedule demands</li> <li>Become a subject-matter expert for the build of  vehicle-level systems (e.g., structures, propulsion, thermal, ECLSS, or avionics), maintaining working knowledge of its design, schematics, and requirements </li> <li>Evaluate nonconformances, identify root causes and robust solutions, and drive corrective actions </li> <li>Generate and maintain design-for-manufacturing requirements and work instructions/test procedures used to build flight hardware </li> <li>Set clear goals for the team and hold members accountable for execution and continuous improvement in their area of ownership </li> <li>Own the relationship with design engineering, supply chain, mission management, and other cross-functional partner teams </li> <li>Identify opportunities for team growth and develop training to increase overall engineering effectiveness</li> </ul> <p><strong>Minimum Qualifications:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Bachelor's degree in mechanical, manufacturing, aerospace, electrical, or similar field</li> <li>2+ years of related engineering experience</li> </ul> <p><strong>Preferred Skills & Experience:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Experience with the build, assembly, integration, or test of complex assemblies and systems</li> <li>Hands on hardware manufacturing, integration, or test experience</li> <li>Experience with working with technicians and running multi person operations</li> <li>Experience writing procedures, technical presentations, and providing go/no-go judgment and rationale</li> <li>1+ years of experience leading teams, projects, or people </li> <li>Familiarity with Epsilon3 and Python environments</li> <li>Ability to make independent judgments with limited information</li> <li>Experience planning and executing vehicle level system verifications, leak checks, or environmental tests</li> <li>Comfortable working in a high-stress environment balancing several projects at any given time, and the flexibility to adjust for abrupt changes in strategic direction</li> <li>Experience with GD&a