- Senior
- Office in Long Beach
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 seeking a Senior Welding Engineer to join our Long Beach team, reporting to the Manager of Additive and Metal Processes. In this full-time, exempt role, you will play a critical role in developing the welding systems and processes required to design and build the world’s first artificial-gravity, human-rated space stations.
Responsibilities
- Own multiple metal joining processes from development through production handoff, including welding and brazing
- Work hands-on in materials selection, process/parameter development, qualification, and controlled documentation to deliver reliable manufacturing processes
- Define qualification criteria and lead test campaigns for metallic materials, including material characterization, interpreting test and NDE results, and selecting appropriate heat treatments
- Partner with design, tooling, and manufacturing engineers to support process development and production needs
- Perform root cause analysis and implement corrective actions to resolve process issues
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in a related engineering discipline
- 5+ years of hands-on experience developing, scaling, and supporting metal joining processes in a manufacturing environment
Preferred Skills & Experience
- Master’s degree in Welding Engineering or a related technical discipline
- Experience with both brazing and fusion welding processes
- Fundamental knowledge of welding methods including orbital tube, electron beam, friction-stir, plasma arc, and gas tungsten arc
- Familiarity with standards and specifications for aerospace and human-flight metal joining processes
- Strong materials knowledge for aerospace applications, including review, development, and qualification
- Understanding of primary production processes (e.g., wrought product forms, extrusions, forgings)
- Understanding of secondary production processes (e.g., heat treatment, plating)
- Knowledge of standard Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) techniques used in aerospace
- Experience planning and executing material allowables development
- Experience with failure analysis and fractography, including characterization techniques
- Enthusiastic, proactive mindset and readiness to dive into technically challenging work
Additional Requirements
- Ability to travel up to 10%
- Willingness to work overtime and weekends to support critical mission milestones
- Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted
Pay Range:
- Senior Welding Engineer $116,600 - $167,800
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
