Lead Manufacturing Engineer, Thermal Control Systems

Vast•Long Beach, CA

7d•$120,000 - $194,000•Onsite

About The Position

Vast is seeking a Lead Manufacturing Engineer, Thermal Control Systems (TCS), reporting to the Manager, Structures & Fluids Manufacturing. The role leads the team responsible for developing, producing, and integrating thermal control hardware for artificial-gravity, human-rated space stations. The position is full-time, exempt, and located in Long Beach, California. The engineer will lead the TCS manufacturing engineering team while remaining hands-on with hardware. The role owns manufacturing development, production readiness, execution, schedules, and build sequencing for thermal control systems across concurrent vehicle builds. It also partners with design engineering and cross-functional teams to prepare and integrate hardware, develop and qualify special processes, and maintain manufacturing documentation and quality practices.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in an engineering or science discipline.
At least 5 years of experience in manufacturing engineering, production engineering, or hardware development for fluid, thermal, environmental control, or life support systems.
At least 3 years of hands-on hardware experience supporting fabrication, assembly, integration, and/or testing.
Experience developing manufacturing processes, work instructions, build plans, or production documentation for complex hardware.
Experience mentoring engineers or leading a workstream, build, or small team; formal people management experience is not required.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in an engineering discipline.
Experience as a technical lead, project lead, or informal team lead on hardware programs.
Experience participating in hiring and interviewing engineers.
Strong interest in developing into a people manager.
Experience supporting production or build execution for aerospace, spacecraft, propulsion, ECLSS, thermal, fluid, or other high-reliability hardware.
Strong experience with design for manufacturing and assembly, production readiness, process development, and manufacturing risk reduction.
Proactive problem-solving skills, including failure analysis, root-cause investigation, corrective action implementation, and design of experiments.
Ability to perform trade studies using first principles and engineering fundamentals to make clear recommendations with partial information.
Experience with rotating machinery, pumps, valves, heat exchangers, coldplates, pressure vessels, fans, separators, or other fluid-system components.
Experience with soft goods, flexible ducting, seals, insulation, or other non-metallic flight hardware.
Solid understanding and application of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, tolerance stack-up analysis, and inspection planning.
Experience with structural analysis methods, including hand calculations, FEMAP, or ANSYS, to evaluate manufacturability, strength, life, and fracture considerations.
Knowledge of metallic and fluid-system manufacturing techniques, processes, equipment, and special processes, including machining, welding, brazing, tube bending, cleaning, passivation, leak testing, proof testing, and pressure testing.
Experience working directly with technicians on the shop floor to troubleshoot builds, improve processes, and execute hardware efficiently.
Ability to work well in an integrated, collaborative team environment, including frequent interaction with technicians, engineers, quality, supply chain, and managers.
Highly self-motivated, with strong organizational and written and oral communication skills, and able to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment while continuously improving.

Responsibilities

Lead the TCS manufacturing engineering team day to day by setting priorities, assigning ownership, running team rhythms, and mentoring engineers.
Participate in hiring and onboarding new engineers.
Own manufacturing development, production readiness, and build execution for TCS hardware, including pumps, fluid loops, coldplates, heaters, and tubing, while remaining hands-on with assigned hardware.
Own the TCS manufacturing schedule and build sequencing across concurrent vehicle builds.
Report hardware status, risks, and mitigation plans to program leadership, including a regular company-wide TCS hardware status update.
Partner with design engineering to drive design for manufacturing and assembly and production readiness from early design trades through flight hardware.
Drive development and qualification of special processes, including welding, brazing, tube bending, cleaning, passivation, leak testing, and pressure testing.
Set standards for work instructions, inspection plans, and nonconformance disposition, and drive root-cause analysis and corrective action to closure.
Work with technicians, quality, supply chain, test, integration, and M&P teams to ensure successful system integration.
Support supplier development and manufacturing readiness for externally produced components and assemblies.

Benefits

Company equity for full-time employees.
Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents.
Paid time off, including vacation of up to 20+ days for 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.
Other discounts and perks.
Complimentary snacks, drip coffee, cold drinks, and dinner meals, with subsidized lunch.