Senior Tooling Engineer

Vast • Long Beach, CA

99d • $135,000 - $170,000

About The Position

At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. We are building artificial gravity space stations, allowing long-term stays in space without the adverse effects of zero-gravity. Our initial crewed space habitat will be Haven-1, scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station when it launches into low earth orbit in May 2026. 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. The Tooling Group is at the core of transforming ambitious spacecraft designs into flight-ready reality. We engineer the fixtures, handling equipment, lift systems, and integration tooling that make complex assemblies safe, precise, and buildable at scale. Without these tools, large structures cannot be lifted, delicate assemblies cannot be aligned, and mission-critical components cannot be brought together with the precision required for spaceflight. By engineering the systems that allow manufacturing, assembly, and testing to run smoothly, the Tooling Group ensures that every milestone on the path to launching Haven-1—the world’s first commercial space station is achievable.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline
• Proficiency with GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing)
• 5+ years of experience in aerospace or automotive tooling
• 5+ years of experience using NX or other 3D CAD software
• Hands-on experience handling, lifting, or building large, complex assemblies
• Knowledge of project planning and execution practices, including logic-linked schedule management

Nice To Haves

• Experience creating and working from work orders and assembly instructions
• Background in designing pneumatic, electrical, or hydraulic motion systems
• Experience with critical lifting fixtures and break-over tooling
• Expertise in integration tooling design
• Passion for hardware development and comfort working in a fast-paced, hands-on environment
• Strong communication and collaboration skills

Responsibilities

• Own the design, activation, implementation, and fabrication support of fixtures and tooling required for Haven-1 assembly, lifting, and handling
• Partner with Integration and Manufacturing teams to define vehicle integration flow, manufacturing processes, concepts, and tooling interfaces
• Collaborate with vehicle engineering and production to define fixture and tooling specifications, develop qualification plans, and transition tools into production
• Perform mechanical analysis for spacecraft fixtures such as loads & dynamics, FEM
• Develop operation and maintenance plans for all test fixtures and tooling; assist Facilities Managers with project implementation
• Own schedules on assigned projects, including critical deadlines, and deliverables
• Establish and manage vendor relationships; coordinate meetings to identify and apply new technologies to Vast’s applications
• Develop, test, and implement tooling improvements to drive time savings and/or tighter tolerances
• Coordinate tooling modifications resulting from part, production, or design changes
• Partner with engineering stakeholders and technicians to resolve production-related issues

Benefits

• 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents
• Flexible paid time off for exempt staff and up to 10 days of vacation for non-exempt staff
• Paid parental leave
• Short and long-term disability insurance
• Life insurance
• Access to a 401(k) retirement plan
• One Medical membership
• ClassPass credits
• Personalized mental healthcare through Spring Health
• Other discounts and perks
• Exceptional food perks, with snacks, drip coffee, cold drinks, and dinner meals remaining free of charge, and lunch subsidized

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree