Vast
Thermal Fluids Design Reliability Engineer
Long Beach, California, United States · Full-time
Sponsorship not specified$162k-$265kDetected 7 days ago
PythonMATLABCode ReviewData AnalysisData VisualizationExcelSystems EngineeringMechanical DesignAerospace EngineeringResearchLeadership
About the role
- Next, Haven-1 is expected to become the world's first commercial space station when it launches, followed by additional Haven modules to enable permanent human presence by 2030.
- If you want to work with the most talented people on Earth furthering space exploration for humanity, come join us.
Responsibilities
- Using an incremental, hardware-rich and low-cost approach, Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station.
- Haven Demo's 2025 success made Vast the only operational commercial space station company to fly and operate its own spacecraft.
- Vast is looking for a Thermal Fluids Design Reliability Engineer, reporting to the Sr.
- Manager of Design Reliability, to guide the design, verification, and validation of Haven-1, the world's first commercial human-rated space station.
- As a Thermal Fluids Design Reliability Engineer, you will ensure thermal fluids systems on Haven-1 are appropriately designed and function reliably, without failure, over their intended lifespan by integrating reliability principles directly into the design process.
- You will drive Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), guide test plan definition and review verification & validation data, and facilitate design teams to prevent failures before manufacturing.
- You will work closely with hardware teams to ensure build practices meet design intent, define test methodologies, and analyze field data to improve design robustness.
- You will be responsible for shepherding the Haven-1 thermal, environmental control, and life support systems through detailed design and transitioning the space station from design, to a built and tested station ready to host humans in space.
- Partner with configuration and change management so that every update to flight hardware is intentional, reviewed, and fully understood.
- Drive technical trades for the vehicle and enable decisions backed by strong physics based engineering rational
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or related Engineering discipline
- Experience in Responsible Engineering, Systems Engineering, Office of the Chief Engineer, or Reliability Engineering roles on complex aerospace systems.
Nice to have
- Preferred Skills & Experience:
Skills
- Hands-on experience designing, assembling, integrating, or testing hardware.
- Background with spacecraft, aircraft, launch vehicles, or other mission- or safety-critical systems.
- Familiarity with fracture control, reliability methodologies, or human-rated hardware standards.
- Experience creating engineering standards, review templates, or technical guidance frameworks.
- Strong scripting and data analysis skills (Python, MATLAB, Excel) and familiarity with visualization tools (e.g., Tableau).
- Knowledge of manufacturing processes, materials selection, and hardware qualification pathways.
- Strong systems-level intuition and the ability to anticipate and articulate risks early.
- Make engineering best practices accessible and actionable, especially for engineers moving rapidly under ambitious program timelines.
- Turn organizational knowledge into lasting guidance by capturing lessons learned and strengthening future standards.
Compensation
- $162,360 - $265,392 USD
- Base salary will vary depending on job-related knowledge, education, skills, experience, business needs, and market demand.
- Salary is just one component of our comprehensive compensation package.
Benefits
- Base salary will vary depending on job-related knowledge, education, skills, experience, business needs, and market demand.
- Full-time employees also receive company equity, as well as access to a full suite of compelling benefits and perks, including: medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, generous paid time off
Company info
- At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space.
- Vast is developing next-generation space stations 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.
- Our team is all-in, committed to executing our mission safely and on time.
Equal opportunity
- Vast is an Equal Opportunity Employer
- employment with Vast is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
- Vast is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Vast is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
This listing is sourced directly from Vast's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.