Vast
Director, Loads & Dynamics
Long Beach, California, United States · Director · Full-time
Sponsorship not specified$189k-$268kDetected 7 days ago
Product ManagementANSYSAvionicsMIL-STDSystems EngineeringMechanical DesignAerospace EngineeringHardware DesignResearchLeadershipCommunicationCollaboration
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.
- This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location.
Responsibilities
- Lead, scale, and develop the Loads & Dynamics organization, including multiple engineering teams and managers responsible for low- and high-frequency loads and environment predictions across all spacecraft programs and product lines.
- Own department-level budget, headcount planning, capital investments, and resource allocation decisions to support current and future program needs.
- Drive execution excellence across the full product lifecycle, including concept development, requirements definition, analysis, testing, verification, qualification, flight support, and on-orbit operations.
- Establish and maintain system-level dynamic models, load cases, environments, and methodologies to support spacecraft design, integration, certification, and operations across multiple vehicle programs.
- Lead the development, correlation, and continuous improvement of finite element and dynamic prediction models using test data, flight data, and lessons learned.
- Partner with senior leadership across Structures, Propulsion, Thermal, Avionics, GNC, Manufacturing, Test, Systems Engineering, and Program Management to ensure integrated vehicle performance and successful hardware delivery.
- Lead and oversee technical reviews, design trades, failure investigations, root cause analyses, and corrective action efforts related to dynamic environments and structural performance.
- Establish organizational priorities, staffing strategies, succession plans, and capability development initiatives to build a world-class Loads & Dynamics team.
- Develop and mentor managers and senior engineers, fostering a culture of accountability, technical excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.
- Drive organizational and process improvements that enhance modeling accuracy, analysis efficiency, product quality, and program execution performance across the department.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- 12+ years of engineering experience in aerospace or other safety-critical industries.
- 5+ years of engineering management experience, including experience managing managers or leading multiple teams.
- Extensive experience in loads and environments prediction, structural dynamics, vibration, acoustic, shock, and coupled systems analyses for spacecraft, launch vehicles, or other flight-critical systems.
- Deep expertise in structural dynamics fundamentals, finite element methods, and systems integration principles.
- Proven track record supporting hardware development through full product lifecycle, including qualification, certification, launch, and flight operations.
- Proficiency with industry-standard analysis tools such as FEMAP/NASTRAN, ANSYS, Abaqus, or equivalent.
- Experience owning department-level budgets, resource planning, and organizational development.
- Experience working with cross-functional engineering, manufacturing, and program management organizations.
Nice to have
- Preferred Skills & Experience:
Skills
- Master's degree or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Structural Dynamics, or a related technical discipline.
- Experience leading Loads & Dynamics organizations responsible for multiple spacecraft, launch vehicles, or flight-critical system programs.
- Proven success delivering complex aerospace programs from concept through qualification, integration, launch, and on-orbit operations.
- Strong strategic thinking, analytical, troubleshooting, and root cause investigation skills.
- Excellent executive communication, organizational, and collaboration skills.
- Passion for advancing the future of human spaceflight and space habitation.
Compensation
- $188,600 - $267,700 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
- Build and maintain relationships with external customers, agencies, suppliers, contractors, and test facilities to support development, qualification, and mission success.
- 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.