Senior Hardware Development Engineer

Vast is looking for a Mechanical Engineer, reporting to the Manager, Structures Design, to to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations.

This role blends mechanical and systems engineering with human-factors-driven product development to shape the environments where astronauts will live and work aboard our stations.

This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location. 

Responsibilities: 

• Own end-to-end design, development, and integration of in-flight equipment—from concept and requirements through analysis, selection, qualification, manufacturing readiness, and flight verification.
• Develop and maintain packaging layouts for all cargo- optimize equipment placement to meet volume, mass, accessibility, and center-of-gravity constraints
• Own requirements, run trade studies, and drive decisions with clear engineering rationale 
• Develop qualification and acceptance testing for all in-flight equipment. Design test fixtures, coordinate and execute all testing (off-gassing, flammability, mechanical loads, EMI/EMC, environmental exposure).
• Produce detailed CAD models, engineering drawings, analysis reports, test plans, and concepts of operations; lead hardware through manufacturing/procurement, test, integration, and verification
• Participate in human-in-the-loop evaluations, mockups, packing studies and fit checks
• Work cross functionally with teams (Flight Surgeons, Food Scientists, Thermal, ECLSS, Avionics) 
• Ensure hardware, packaging, and stowage solutions meet mission requirements, human factors and safety through cross-functional ownership

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related engineering discipline
• 5+ years of mechanical design and analysis experience, including development of mechanical components, systems, or safety-critical equipment
• 5+ years of experience with CAD and FEA tools

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Experience developing spaceflight hardware or safety equipment in regulated or high-reliability domains
• Hands-on experience supporting environmental testing (structural, random vibration, thermal,  EMI/EMC)
• Experience with aerospace, medical, or high-reliability packaging systems
• Experience with flexible packaging, barrier materials, or food-grade polymers
• Ability to lead trade studies using first-principles reasoning, even with limited data.
• Leadership experience on an engineering or project team 
• Strong ability to use data and analysis to make fast data-driven decisions 
• Demonstrated ownership of hardware from concept through design, build, integration, and verification.
• Excellent communication skills; ability to synthesize inputs across teams (avionics, materials, human factors, structural, safety, procurement).
• Comfort working in ambiguity; ability to move fast, take ownership, and deliver under tight schedule constraints.
• Highly organized individual with excellent documentation practices, attention to detail, and the ability to track information accurately across projects

Pay Ranges: 

• Mechanical Engineer II : $110,000 - $142,000
• Senior Mechanical Engineer: $135,000 - $176,000