---
title: 'Manufacturing Engineer, ECLSS at Vast'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-engineer-eclss-vast-long-beach-california-645bcq27g1pc'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-10'
---

# Manufacturing Engineer, ECLSS at Vast

- **Company:** Vast
- **Location:** Long Beach California, United States
- **Compensation:** $86k–$159k
- **Posted:** 2026-09-09
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-10
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/vast/jobs/4712216006?gh_jid=4712216006

## Job description

Vast is developing next-generation space stations and space infrastructure using an incremental, hardware-rich, and low-cost approach. Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station 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. Haven Demo’s 2025 success made Vast the only operational commercial space station company to fly and operate its own spacecraft. Next, Haven-1 is expected to become the world’s first commercial space station when it launches in 2027, followed by additional Haven modules. Additionally, the company recently announced Vast Satellite, a high-power satellite product line leveraging its space station components and the heritage of Haven Demo.

Headquartered in Long Beach, California, and with more than 1,000 employees and over a billion dollars in private capital, Vast has built the facilities required to manufacture and operate America’s next space station. The company plans to develop future habitats and systems for the Moon and Mars, dedicated space stations for government partners, and other crewed systems that will unlock the expanding long-term space economy.

Vast is looking for a Manufacturing Engineer, Environmental Control and Life Support Systems, reporting to the Senior Manager, ECLSS Manufacturing, to support the development, production, and integration of the systems required for human-rated space stations.

This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location.

This role is focused on the fluid systems at the core of ECLSS: water, air, thermal, and pressurized gas hardware. You will be on the floor for first builds, defining how new hardware gets built, documenting it, and then making it repeatable for the Haven modules that follow.

Responsibilities:

- Execute build, assembly, and integration of ECLSS fluid hardware on the shop floor alongside technicians, from first article through flight hardware
- Author, redline, and maintain work instructions, assembly procedures, build travelers, and inspection plans for assigned ECLSS assemblies
- Own manufacturing process definition for assigned hardware, including tube bending and routing, fitting installation and torque, brazed and welded joint call-outs, cleaning, passivation, and assembly
- Support proof, leak, and functional testing of fluid assemblies, including test setup, instrumentation, data collection, and post-test disposition
- Identify design for manufacturing and design for assembly issues during first builds and drive them back into the design with ECLSS Design Engineering
- Disposition nonconformances and support root cause investigation and corrective action with Quality Engineering
- Define, design, and procure tooling, fixtures, and handling hardware required to execute assigned builds safely and repeatably
- Perform fit checks, interpret GD&T, and support tolerance stack-up analysis to resolve build issues
- Track build progress, part shortages, and schedule for assigned hardware, and escalate risks early
- Train technicians on new processes and drive first-pass yield, build time, and scrap improvements with data
- Support supplier manufacturing readiness for externally produced ECLSS components and assemblies

Minimum Qualifications:

- Bachelor's degree in an engineering or science discipline
- Manufacturing Engineer I: 0-2 years of experience in manufacturing, production, test, or hardware development engineering. Strong internship, co-op, or project team experience will be considered
- Manufacturing Engineer II: 2+ years of experience in manufacturing, production, or test engineering for fluid, thermal, environmental control, or other high-reliability hardware

Preferred Skills & Experience:

- Master's degree in an engineering discipline
- Hands-on experience with fluid or pressurized gas hardware: tube bending and routing, AN/MS/VCR fittings, brazed and welded joints, valves, pumps, heat exchangers, filters, fans, and separators
- Demonstrated hands-on hardware experience supporting fabrication, assembly, integration, and/or testing
- Working knowledge of fluid system fundamentals, including pressure drop, flow, sealing, leak paths, and cleanliness
- Experience supporting a first build or first article of new hardware, not only sustaining an established production line
- Experience with high pressure fluid and gas testing, including proof, burst, pressure decay, helium mass spectrometry leak testing, and functional testing
- Experience with oxygen-clean or precision-clean fluid hardware and cleanliness verification methods
- Experience developing manufacturing processes, work instructions, build plans, or production documentation for complex hardware
- Solid understanding and application of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, tolerance stack-up analysis, and inspection planning
- Experience with NX and with PLM or MES systems
- Knowledge of metallic and fluid system manufacturing special processes, including machining, welding, brazing, tube bending, cleaning, passivation, leak testing, proof testing, and pressure testing
- Proactive problem-solving skills, including failure analysis, root cause investigation, and corrective action implementation
- Experience working directly with technicians on the shop floor to troubleshoot builds, improve processes, and execute hardware efficiently
- Experience in aerospace, spacecraft, propulsion, ECLSS, thermal, fluid, or other high-reliability hardware environments
- Ability to work well in an integrated, collaborative team environment, including frequent interaction with technicians, engineers, quality, supply chain, and managers
- Highly self-motivated with strong organizational and written/oral communication skills; able to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment with an ongoing drive for continuous improvement

Additional Requirements:

- Ability to travel up to 10% of the time
- Willingness to work overtime, or weekends to support critical mission milestones
- Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted
- Ability to work in a shop floor environment with pressurized systems and personal protective equipment requirements

Pay Range:

- Manufacturing Engineer I: $86,100 - $122,220
- Manufacturing Engineer II: $112,340 - $159,468

Pay Range: California $86,000—$159,000 USD

We calibrate level and compensation to the selected candidate's experience and demonstrated capability. We welcome applicants across a range of experience levels to apply.

## COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

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. 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; up to 20+ days of vacation for exempt staff and up to 10+ days of vacation for non-exempt staff 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, and other discounts and perks. We also take pride in offering exceptional food perks, with snacks, drip coffee & onsite barista, cold drinks, and dinner meals remaining free of charge, and lunch subsidized as part of Vast’s ongoing commitment to providing high-quality meals for employees.

## U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS

The person hired will have access to information and items subject to U.S. export controls, and therefore, must either be a “U.S. person” as defined by [22 C.F.R. § 120.62](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-22/section-120.62) or otherwise eligible for deemed export licensing. This status includes U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and asylees and refugees with such status granted, not pending.

## 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.

## About Vast

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Aerospace, space infrastructure, commercial space stations
- **Target customers**: B2B (government space agencies, research institutions, pharmaceutical/biotech companies, satellite operators), B2C (private astronaut missions)
- **Mission or purpose statement**: “Our long-term vision is to create artificial gravity stations, allowing humanity to live and work in space without long-term harm to the body.” – Jed McCaleb

## Products & Services
- **Haven-1**: The world’s first commercial space station, a single-module habitat launching in 2027 aboard a Falcon 9. Designed for 4-crew missions of up to 30 days, with microgravity research lab (10 payload slots), large window dome, always-on Wi-Fi, and Starlink laser communications. [vastspace.com](https://www.vastspace.com/)
- **Haven-2**: A planned multi-module space station designed as a commercial successor to the ISS. First module (based on Haven-1 but stretched) to launch on Falcon Heavy in 2028, with full configuration of eight modules by 2032. Will compete for NASA’s Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) Phase 2. [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vast_(company))
- **Haven Demo**: A 500 kg demonstration satellite launched in November 2025, successfully tested communications, power, propulsion, and deorbit capabilities. Operated for three months before controlled reentry in February 2026. [vastspace.com](https://www.vastspace.com/)
- **High-Power Satellite Buses**: Leveraging in-house space station technology, Vast has expanded into designing and building high-power satellite buses for commercial and government customers. [vastspace.com](https://www.vastspace.com/)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed. However, the company raised $500M in March 2026 ($300M equity + $200M debt). [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vast_(company))
- **Key Metric**: Total funding to date – at least $500M (March 2026), plus prior undisclosed rounds led by founder Jed McCaleb.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Balerion Space Ventures, IQT, Qatar Investment Authority, Mitsui & Co., MUFG, Nikon Corporation, Stellar Ventures, Space Capital, Earthrise Ventures, Jed McCaleb. Partners include SpaceX (launch provider, Starlink), Impulse Space (propulsion), AnySignal, TRL11, Addvalue, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, CASIS, UK Space Agency, European Space Agency, NASA (CCSC-2 agreement). [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vast_(company)) [vastspace.com](https://www.vastspace.com/)
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Won the sixth commercial ISS astronaut mission contract (Feb 2026), with ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet as commander. 
  - Signed multi-mission agreements with France (to ISS and Haven-1) and the Czech Republic (via ESA). 
  - Completed primary structure of Haven-1 – the first U.S. space station flight article built in over 20 years. 
  - Headcount grew from 606+ (Oct 2024) to “1000+ team members” by mid-2026. 
  - Former NASA CEO Steve Isakowitz and veteran astronauts Andrew Feustel and Garrett Reisman joined as advisors/team members. [vastspace.com](https://www.vastspace.com/) [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vast_(company))

## Competitive Advantages
- **First-mover in commercial space stations**: Vast is the only operational commercial space station company to have flown and operated its own spacecraft in orbit (Haven Demo). 
- **Hardware-rich, low-cost approach**: Rapid iteration and in-house manufacturing enable faster development than competitors. 
- **Artificial gravity vision**: Long-term differentiator for human health in space – a key gap in current ISS and other station designs. 
- **Strong talent pipeline**: Leadership includes serial entrepreneurs (Max Haot, Jed McCaleb) and top SpaceX and NASA veterans (CTO Alex Hudson, COO Kris Young, astronaut Andrew Feustel). 
- **Strategic partnerships**: Deep relationships with SpaceX, international space agencies, and research institutions provide launch, funding, and mission opportunities.

## Strategic Focus
- **Haven-1 launch and crewed missions**: Complete assembly, launch in 2027, and execute the first Vast-1 crew mission (4 astronauts, ~14 days). 
- **Haven-2 development**: Compete for NASA’s CLD Phase 2 contract (decision expected July 2026) to become a primary ISS replacement. 
- **Expand microgravity research network**: Partner with pharmaceutical, biotech, and materials science companies for in-space manufacturing and R&D. 
- **International expansion**: Secure additional government astronaut missions (France, UK, Czech Republic) and explore Indian launch capabilities. 
- **High-power satellite bus business**: Leverage in-house technology to capture commercial and defense satellite contracts.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: “All in” – bottom-up engineering, first principles, extreme ownership, rapid progress, and celebration of wins. Emphasizes respect, curiosity, and excellence. [vastspace.com](https://www.vastspace.com/careers)
- **Benefits**: Long-term equity incentive, 401(k), generous PTO with annual cash-out, paid parental leave, comprehensive medical/dental/vision, subsidized meals, fitness memberships, and wellness benefits. [vastspace.com](https://www.vastspace.com/careers)
- **Work environment**: In-office in Long Beach, CA. State-of-the-art 115,000 sq ft facility with manufacturing operations. 
- **Engineering culture**: Agile, risk-tolerant, and driven by passion for space. Team includes former SpaceX, NASA, and top aerospace engineers. 
- **Impact**: Directly building the future of long-term space habitation – a mission-driven environment with ambitious timelines and tangible results.

## Sources
1. [vastspace.com](https://www.vastspace.com/)
2. [vastspace.com/careers](https://www.vastspace.com/careers)
3. [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vast_(company))
4. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/vastspace)

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