Manager, Structures Manufacturing Engineering

Vast is looking for a Manager, Structures Manufacturing Engineering, reporting to the Senior Director of 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. 

• Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of manufacturing engineers and technicians; establish skills matrices, drive competency development, and build succession plans for critical roles.
• Develop, stabilize, and continuously improve manufacturing processes for metallic aerospace structures (welding, trimming, rolling, bending, shearing, and related operations).
• Design, implement, and qualify welding cells, fabrication tooling, fixtures, jigs, and production workstations for primary structure manufacturing.
• Own manufacturing planning, including creation and updates of work instructions, routings, inspection steps, and ERP/MRP configuration.
• Drive root-cause analysis and corrective actions for manufacturing non-conformances in partnership with Quality and Design Engineering.
• Collaborate with Design Engineering to assess and improve designs for manufacturability and to support smooth transitions from development to production.
• Identify, evaluate, and introduce new manufacturing technologies and automation solutions to increase throughput, quality, and efficiency.
• Lead the build and inspection processes for structural assembly, ensuring compliance with all safety, quality, and delivery requirements.
• Develop and optimize production floor layouts, capacity models, and product flow to support schedule commitments and vehicle delivery timelines.
• Scope, justify, and implement capital equipment, facility, and tooling upgrades required to support long-term manufacturing scalability.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or comparable STEM field.
• Experience working in fast-paced development environments with evolving designs and requirements.
• Extensive experience developing or improving manufacturing processes, tools, or products, particularly for metallic structures or assemblies.
• Proven experience managing a product or product line across multiple workcenters and/or departments.
• Experience leading manufacturing through development-to-production transitions for new products or programs.
• Demonstrated ability to resolve non-conformances and drive effective root-cause and corrective actions.
• 3+ Years in a manufacturing environment.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Prior leadership experience managing engineers in a high-performance environment.
• Strong understanding of welding and fabrication processes, with the ability to provide clear design feedback.
• Experience with aerospace tooling or flight design and fabrication from concept through production.
• Proficiency with CAD systems (NX, Teamcenter).
• Strong understanding of GD&T and ability to interpret complex engineering drawings.
• Experience working with and defining requirements for ERP, MRP, and MES systems.
• Hands-on experience with aerospace welding processes (TIG, Plasma, repair techniques).
• Familiarity with aerospace standards, production documentation, Non-destructive evaluation techniques and quality systems.
• 6+ years in aerospace manufacturing environments.

• Willingness to work evenings or weekends to support critical program milestones.
• Ability to be on the production floor regularly to support processes, troubleshooting, and team development

Pay Range: 

• Manager, Structures Manufacturing Engineering:  $ $135,000 - $180,000
• Senior Manager, Structures Manufacturing Engineering: $159,000 - $209,000