---
title: 'Senior Structures Engineer, Lunar at Vast'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-structures-engineer-lunar-vast-long-beach-california-k4j7y4cm22k3'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-10'
---

# Senior Structures Engineer, Lunar at Vast

- **Company:** Vast
- **Location:** Long Beach California, United States
- **Compensation:** $137k–$230k
- **Posted:** 2026-08-20
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-10
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/vast/jobs/4706808006?gh_jid=4706808006

## 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 Senior Structures Engineer, Lunar, reporting to the Senior Vice President, Lunar Programs, to support the development of the systems that will be required for Vast’s Lunar ecosystem. Our team is applying the technology, infrastructure, and knowledge built across our Haven Demo, Haven-1, Haven Station, and Vast Satellite programs to a new frontier: the Moon. Our Lunar program isn't starting from scratch, giving this founding team an extraordinary running start to help shape humanity's next era of lunar exploration from day one.

As  one of the earliest Structures Engineers on the Lunar team, you'll play an outsized part in developing Vast’s lunar ecosystem. In this role you will have the opportunity to cover a wide range of components and systems for the Moon ranging from the primary pressure hull and lunar surface habitat structures, secondary structures and closeouts and mechanisms, to micrometeoroid shielding.  You will concept, design, build, and test engineered systems that require an understanding of mechanical design, structural safety factors, welding processes, and materials engineering.  The ideal candidate will be a full-ownership responsible engineer with broad knowledge that can take a product from beginning to end.

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

Responsibilities:

- Serve as the accountable owner (Responsible Engineer) for end-to-end lunar engineering projects such as habitation modules, airlocks, nodes, and pallets.
- Work with lunar subject matter experts and systems architects to bring lunar concepts to reality that mesh with Vast’s larger lunar ecosystem and NASA’s Moon Base architecture.
- Own the design and CAD (NX or equivalent) development of primary and secondary structures for lunar ecosystem.
- Develop understanding of static and dynamic loads, vibrations, thermal, and other environmental considerations unique to the lunar surface to drive design decisions.
- Define structural requirements, design loads, and safety margins for a human-rated pressurized structure operating in the lunar environment.
- Perform mechanical design and analysis, develop manufacturing drawings, following hardware through the entire process from concept to build.
- Lead trades and own interfaces with subsystems, including pressure vessel architecture, hatch/seal mechanisms, and material selection for lunar exposure conditions.
- Work with fabricators and technicians to improve designs, develop processes, and resolve issues.
- Define and execute test and verification plans, including structural, pressure, and hatch/seal performance testing.
- Support hardware bring-up, checkout, and anomaly resolution during build and test.
- Represent the subsystem at design reviews, coordinating with Life Support (ECLSS), Thermal, Power, and Avionics teams  on interface requirements.
- Help establish design standards and practices for the Lunar program as its first structures hire.

Minimum Qualifications:

- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Civil Engineering, Physics, Mathematics  or a related field.
- 5+ years of experience in structural design of aerospace pressurized or human-rated hardware, with direct ownership from design through hardware delivery.
- 5+ years of experience with CAD and FEA software packages (NX or equivalent) and experience with GD&T implementation and analysis (ASME Y14.5).
- Demonstrated experience owning a structural hardware item end-to-end (design, build, and test), not solely in an analysis capacity.

Preferred Skills & Experience:

- Experience working on lunar engineering programs.
- Design of structures and components for a high-performance vehicle or spacecraft.
- Experience designing pressure vessels, hatches, or airlock mechanisms for crewed spacecraft or habitats.
- Familiarity with spacecraft structural specifications such as SMC-S-016 and NASA-STD-5001.
- Analysis work in recent versions of Ansys, Femap/Nastran, or Abaqus.
- Experience leading hardware through structural verification testing (proof pressure, burst, functional seal/hatch cycling).
- Familiarity with the lunar surface or deep-space thermal, radiation, and solar environment (or equivalent extreme-environment design experience).
- Prior experience in a fast-paced commercial space or startup hardware environment, comfortable with high ownership and limited process overhead.

Additional Requirements:

- Ability to travel up to 5% of the time to support vendors, partnership or customer meetings.
- Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones.

Pay Range: California $137,000—$230,000 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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