Vast
Senior Manager, Loads & Dynamics
Long Beach, California, United States · Senior · Full-time
Sponsorship not specified$164k-$232kDetected 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, non-exempt position located in our Long Beach location.
Responsibilities
- Lead and develop a multidisciplinary Dynamics engineering team responsible for low- and high-frequency loads and environment predictions for spacecraft systems and hardware during transportation, ascent, docking, and on-orbit operations.
- Drive execution across the full product lifecycle, including concept development, requirements definition, analysis, testing, verification, qualification, and flight support activities.
- Develop and maintain system-level dynamic models, load cases, and environments to support spacecraft design, integration, and operations.
- Support product teams with vibration and shock requirement tailoring, test planning, and qualification verification activities.
- Build, maintain, correlate, and improve finite element and dynamic prediction models using gathered test data and flight-representative environments.
- Develop post-processing tools and methodologies for dynamic analyses, test data reduction, and high-speed data processing.
- Partner closely with Structures, Propulsion, Thermal, Avionics, GNC, Manufacturing, Test, and Systems Engineering teams to ensure integrated vehicle performance and successful hardware delivery.
- Lead technical reviews, design trades, failure investigations, root cause analyses, and corrective action efforts related to dynamic environments and structural performance.
- Support and oversee spacecraft qualification activities, including vibration, modal, acoustic, and shock testing campaigns.
- Provide technical leadership and risk management support to ensure system performance, reliability, safety, and compliance with aerospace standards and verification requirements.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- 8+ years of engineering experience in aerospace or other safety-critical industries.
- 2+ years of technical leadership or engineering management experience.
- Experience performing loads and environments prediction, structural dynamics, vibration, acoustic, shock, or coupled systems analyses for aerospace hardware or vehicle systems.
- Strong understanding of structural dynamics fundamentals, finite element methods, and systems integration principles.
- Experience supporting hardware development through multiple phases of the product lifecycle, including qualification and testing.
- Proficiency with industry-standard analysis tools such as FEMAP/NASTRAN, ANSYS, Abaqus, or equivalent.
- Experience working in cross-functional engineering and manufacturing environments.
- Expertise in modal analysis, quasi-static loads, random vibration, sine vibration, shock, acoustic environments, and transient dynamic response analysis.
Nice to have
- Preferred Skills & Experience:
Skills
- Experience leading Dynamics or Loads teams responsible for spacecraft, launch vehicles, or other flight-critical systems.
- Proven success supporting complex aerospace programs from concept through qualification, integration, launch, and operations.
- Hands-on experience supporting vibration, acoustic, shock, or modal testing campaigns in laboratory or production environments.
- Familiarity with coupled loads analysis (CLA), spacecraft dynamic environments, and launch vehicle integration requirements.
- Working knowledge of spacecraft launch load environments and industry standards such as SMC-S-016, GSFC-STD-7000A, and MIL-STD-810.
- Ability to communicate structural dynamic concepts clearly across multidisciplinary engineering organizations.
- Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and root cause investigation skills.
- Excellent communication, organizational, and collaboration skills.
- Experience working in fast-paced development and manufacturing environments.
- Passion for advancing the future of human spaceflight and space habitation.
Compensation
- $164,000 - $232,000 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.