Electric Propulsion Specialist

Vast•Long Beach, CA

19h•$89,378 - $126,888•Onsite

About The Position

Vast is developing next-generation space stations and space infrastructure 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 Vast Satellite, a high-power satellite product line leveraging its space station components and the heritage of Haven Demo. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, 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. Vast is looking for a(n) Electric Propulsion Specialist, reporting to the Director of Production, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of human-rated space stations. This will be a full-time, non-exempt position located in our Long Beach location. As an Electric Propulsion Specialist, you'll work hands-on in the lab where our propulsion hardware gets built and tested. You'll work side by side with propulsion engineers to assemble, wire, and test electric propulsion hardware, from thrusters to the high-voltage power and harnessing that drives them.

Requirements

5+ years of hands-on experience as an electrical, electromechanical, or test technician in aerospace, defense, research, or a similar high-reliability industry (or equivalent military experience)
Demonstrated experience building wire harnesses and cable assemblies, including soldering, crimping, and connector termination
Experience working safely on high-voltage systems or equipment
Machining experience on manual and/or CNC mills and lathes

Nice To Haves

Experience operating and maintaining high-vacuum systems, including roughing pumps, turbomolecular pumps, diffusion pumps, and/or cryopumps
Experience with helium leak detection, vacuum gauges, and vacuum fittings (KF, CF, ISO)
Experience with electric propulsion systems (Hall-effect, gridded ion, or similar) or plasma/high-voltage lab equipment
Welding experience (TIG preferred), especially on stainless steel or thin-walled tubing
Current IPC/WHMA-A-620, J-STD-001 (including Space Addendum), and/or NASA-STD-8739 certification
Experience with precision cleaning, cleanroom work, or contamination control for flight hardware
Experience with propellant feed systems, including tube bending, fittings, and pressure/leak testing
Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and mechanical drawings, including GD&T
Experience with data acquisition systems and test instrumentation
Familiarity with documenting work in an MES or similar system for manufacturing and quality records
Strong attention to detail and a commitment to quality and safety
Ability to work effectively in a team and to make sound independent judgments with limited information
Comfortable in a fast-paced environment, balancing several tasks at once and adapting to changing priorities

Responsibilities

Fabricate, assemble, integrate, and test electric propulsion hardware, including thrusters, propellant feed components, power electronics, and test support equipment
Build, inspect, and repair electrical harnesses and cable assemblies, including soldering, crimping, potting, splicing, lacing, and connector termination
Safely work on high-voltage systems and equipment, following lockout/tagout, grounding, and other electrical safety practices
Run, maintain, and troubleshoot vacuum chambers and pumping systems
Set up and run thruster and component tests, including mounting hardware, routing instrumentation, checking out data acquisition systems, and monitoring tests
Machine fixtures, brackets, adapters, and test hardware on manual and/or CNC mills and lathes from drawings or engineering sketches
Diagnose electrical and mechanical problems using multimeters, hipot and insulation-resistance testers, oscilloscopes, and leak detectors
Follow and help write work instructions, test procedures, and build travelers, and record as-built configurations and any non-conformances accurately
Keep the lab, tooling, and test areas clean, organized, and safe, including inventory of consumables and spares
Work with engineering, quality, and other technicians to feed manufacturing and test lessons back into design