Easy Apply
Easy Apply
Develop and maintain AI tooling systems for space stations, focusing on frontend customizations, AI integration, and full-stack feature implementation.
At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. Vast is developing next-generation space stations 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. Using an incremental, hardware-rich and low-cost approach, Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station. 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, followed by additional Haven modules to enable permanent human presence by 2030. 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 looking for a Staff Software Engineer, AI Tooling reporting to the Senior Manager, Software Engineering 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.
Responsibilities:
- Design and develop frontend customizations for OpenWebUI and other internal AI platforms using Svelte and TypeScript
- Build and maintain complex MCP (Model Context Protocol) gateways to connect AI models with internal tools and data sources
- Develop custom pipelines for AI response enforcement, content safety, and output formatting
- Architect and implement full-stack features that serve diverse AI use-cases across the company
- Collaborate with IT Infrastructure to integrate AI tooling with existing systems and infrastructure
- Rapidly iterate on AI tooling as the technology landscape and company needs evolve
- Evaluate and adopt emerging AI frameworks, models, and patterns to improve internal tooling
- Contribute to the technical direction of Vast's AI platform strategy as the founding member of the AI engineering function
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, math, an engineering discipline, or equivalent work experience
- 5+ years of software development or relevant industry experience
- Strong full-stack development experience with Python and TypeScript
- Demonstrated understanding of AI/ML concepts, large language model architectures, and modern AI tooling patterns
Preferred Skills & Experience:
- Experience with OpenWebUI or similar open-source AI interface platforms
- Experience with Svelte or SvelteKit
- Experience building or integrating MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers and gateways
- Experience with LLM API integration, prompt engineering, and AI pipeline development
- Experience with containerization and deployment (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Familiarity with RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) patterns and vector databases
- Experience working in fast-paced, ambiguous environments with evolving requirements
Additional Requirements:
- Ability to travel up to 50% of the time
- Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones
- Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted
- Specific certifications, as appropriate
Pay Range:
- Senior Software Engineer, AI Tooling: $159,900 - $226,980
- Staff Software Engineer, AI Tooling: $188,600 - $267,720
Pay Range: California
$159,900—$267,720 USD
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Base salary will vary depending on job-related knowledge, education, skills, experience, business needs, and market demand. Salary is just one component of our comprehensive compensation package. Full-time employees also receive company equity, as well as access to a full suite of compelling benefits and perks, including: 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, generous paid time off; up to 20+ days of vacation for exempt staff and up to 10+ days of vacation for non-exempt staff with the ability to cash-out unused vacation annually, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, ClassPass credits, personalized mental healthcare through Spring Health, and other discounts and perks. We also take pride in offering exceptional food perks, with snacks, drip coffee & onsite barista, cold drinks, and dinner meals remaining free of charge, and lunch subsidized as part of Vast’s ongoing commitment to providing high-quality meals for employees.
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
Vast is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Vast is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
Top Skills
Docker
Kubernetes
Python
Svelte
Typescript
Vast Long Beach, California, USA Office
2851 Orange Ave, Long Beach, CA, United States, 90755
Similar Jobs
.png)
Artificial Intelligence • Big Data • Machine Learning
The Developer Productivity Engineer will enhance developer experience by creating automation frameworks, improving workflows, and resolving development issues.
Top Skills:
AnsibleAsanaAWSAzureBazelCircleCICloudFormationDockerElk StackGCPGitGithub ActionsGoGradleGrafanaJavaJenkinsJIRAKubernetesMavenMongoDBMySQLPostgresPrometheusPythonTerraform
Cloud • Computer Vision • Information Technology • Sales • Security • Cybersecurity
As a Full Stack Software Engineer, you will develop tools for cloud management, build APIs and UIs, and maintain cloud systems.
Top Skills:
AWSCi/CdCloudFormationGoGrpcJavaScriptKubernetesLinuxReactRestful ApisTerraformTypescript
Cloud • Computer Vision • Information Technology • Sales • Security • Cybersecurity
The role involves managing strategic partnerships with cloud providers, enhancing offerings on AWS Marketplace, and driving business growth through program management and cross-functional collaboration.
Top Skills:
AWSAzureGCPOciTackle.Io
What you need to know about the Los Angeles Tech Scene
Los Angeles is a global leader in entertainment, so it’s no surprise that many of the biggest players in streaming, digital media and game development call the city home. But the city boasts plenty of non-entertainment innovation as well, with tech companies spanning verticals like AI, fintech, e-commerce and biotech. With major universities like Caltech, UCLA, USC and the nearby UC Irvine, the city has a steady supply of top-flight tech and engineering talent — not counting the graduates flocking to Los Angeles from across the world to enjoy its beaches, culture and year-round temperate climate.
Key Facts About Los Angeles Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 375,800; 5.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Snap, Netflix, SpaceX, Disney, Google
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, adtech, media, software, game development
- Funding Landscape: $11.6 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Strong Ventures, Fifth Wall, Upfront Ventures, Mucker Capital, Kittyhawk Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: California Institute of Technology, UCLA, University of Southern California, UC Irvine, Pepperdine, California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Quantum Science and Engineering
