Senior Supplier Reliability Engineer

Vast • Long Beach, CA

3d • $123,000 - $230,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Vast is seeking a Senior/Staff Supplier Reliability Engineer to support the development of systems needed to design and build artificial-gravity, human-rated space stations. Reporting to the Senior Manager of Supplier Reliability, this full-time, exempt role is based in Long Beach, California. The engineer will help ensure the quality and reliability of products and components received from suppliers, working across supplier, design, manufacturing, and procurement functions.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Materials, Manufacturing, Industrial, or Electrical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• At least 5 years of reliability, process, or quality engineering experience in a production environment, including hands-on root-cause and corrective action (RCCA) work on product or process issues.
• Working knowledge of manufacturing and special processes, failure mechanisms, and inspection or non-destructive examination (NDE) methods.
• Experience reading and applying industry specifications and drawing requirements.
• Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones.
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted.
• Ability to travel up to 50% of the time.
• Must be a U.S. person under the cited export-control definition or otherwise eligible for deemed export licensing.

Nice To Haves

• A proven record of taking RCCAs to verified closure and influencing suppliers to achieve results.
• Hands-on failure analysis experience.
• Working knowledge of quality systems such as ISO 9000, AS9100, and NADCAP, and supplier quality processes such as PPAP, APQP, and FAI.
• Familiarity with aerospace specifications for special processes, inspection, and process control.
• Experience applying statistical methods such as MSA, DOE, hypothesis testing, and Cpk, and structured problem-solving methods such as 8D, fault tree, Ishikawa, and Six Sigma.
• Experience with additive manufacturing, welding, fracture mechanics, or damage tolerance.
• Experience with MES and PLM systems, Google Suite, SQL, and Python.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced environment across many functions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical findings to all levels of Vast and the supply base.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and onboard suppliers, conducting regular audits, assessments, and evaluations to confirm they meet Vast’s quality standards.
• Build and maintain supplier relationships; address quality issues, identify supply-chain risks, and implement improvements.
• Work with design and manufacturing engineers to understand the design intent of piece parts, assemblies, and subsystems.
• Conduct design-for-manufacturability reviews early in the process, ideally before sourcing.
• Work with procurement to assess supplier manufacturing processes, inspection practices, and quality systems for strategic sourcing.
• Drive continuous improvement with suppliers and internally by analyzing quality data, identifying trends, and implementing corrective and preventive actions to improve quality and reduce cost.
• Define supplier technical and quality requirements for new product introduction and production based on customer and program requirements.
• Analyze supplier quality and delivery metrics, identify trends and systemic performance gaps, and develop supplier improvement plans.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective action for escapes or nonconformances in Vast manufacturing or the supply chain.
• Demonstrate ownership, technical excellence, initiative, and attention to detail.

Benefits

• Company equity.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents.
• Generous paid time off; exempt staff may receive 20+ vacation days and non-exempt staff may receive 10+ vacation days, 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, dinner meals, and onsite barista service; lunch is subsidized.

What This Job Offers

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