Manufacturing Engineering, Fluid Systems

Vast • Long Beach, CA

1d • $86,100 - $195,552 • Onsite

About The Position

Vast is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer, Fluid Systems, to help develop systems for human-rated space stations. The role uses engineering knowledge and creativity to design, build, and test solutions for space technology. The engineer will support the Haven-1 program by developing manufacturing capabilities and processes for tubing systems, including tube bending and welding. This is a full-time, exempt position located in Long Beach, California. Vast welcomes candidates across experience levels and calibrates level and compensation to each selected candidate's experience and demonstrated capability.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, aerospace, manufacturing, or electrical engineering, physics, mathematics, or a related technical field.
• At least 2 years of manufacturing experience managing a product or product line across multiple work centers and/or departments, involving fluid, pressurized, propulsion, or environmental control hardware in design, manufacturing, or test.
• For Manufacturing Engineer II: 2–4 or more years of experience.
• For Senior Manufacturing Engineer: 4–6 or more years of experience.
• Hands-on fabrication, assembly, and/or integration experience.
• CAD proficiency; Siemens NX is preferred.
• Experience with CAD tools such as Siemens NX and the ability to review designs, generate manufacturing documentation, and design assembly or test tooling.
• Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones.

Nice To Haves

• Hands-on hardware-building or testing experience, in industry or through student teams such as Formula SAE, rocketry, CubeSat, or robotics.
• Experience with aerospace, spacecraft, propulsion, or other safety-critical or high-reliability hardware.
• Experience taking designs or processes from concept through build or test, and from R&D to production.
• Familiarity with CAD tools, ideally Siemens NX, and PLM tools such as Teamcenter.
• Exposure to thermal or structural analysis using Ansys or similar tools.
• Awareness of aerospace workmanship, design, and environmental test standards such as IPC, SMC-S-016, NASA-STD-5001, or MIL-STD-810.
• Proficiency applying GD&T.
• Strong problem-solving skills, including troubleshooting and structured root-cause analysis.
• Strong attention to detail, clear communication, and ability to work well in cross-functional teams.
• For senior-level candidates: experience mentoring engineers or technicians and managing multiple projects at once.

Responsibilities

• Conceptualize, develop, and manufacture tube-bending and welding cells for the Haven-1 program.
• Lead first-build and test efforts, including design integration, assembly sequencing, mBOM development, work order creation, and specification authoring.
• Create and maintain detailed manufacturing plans, assembly procedures, and work instructions for consistent and accurate production of tubing systems.
• Identify and resolve manufacturing challenges through root-cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Apply critical thinking and problem-solving to challenge assumptions and drive efficient human-spaceflight production within aggressive timelines.
• Collaborate with design engineers, integration engineers, production teams, and external vendors to execute builds efficiently.
• Develop capability-driven tooling solutions to streamline production, increase output, and reduce operational burden.
• Partner with quality assurance teams to establish and maintain quality control processes.
• Establish and maintain standard practices, troubleshooting guides, and repair procedures, and review and approve related planning documents.
• Support day-to-day production of bent tubes, orbital tube welding, and manually welded tubing, ensuring efficiency and quality.
• Evaluate production and design requirements for tubing assemblies using data-driven insights to eliminate waste and optimize manufacturing.
• Continuously improve production systems by identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, reduce waste, and improve product quality.

Benefits

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

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level