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 seeking a Director, Mission Engineering & Management to own program and mission execution for a new constellation-ready spacecraft bus product line. Our first mission is a 10-satellite demo launch — the plan is to scale to hundreds of spacecraft per year.

We're developing a new constellation-ready 15kW spacecraft bus, with our first mission being a 10-satellite demo launch in Q4 2027 — multiple customer payloads, and a product line designed to scale to hundreds of spacecraft per year. This role owns the program and mission execution side: schedule, requirements, budgets, customer relationships, and launch campaign planning. You're the counterpart to the Director of Engineering — they deliver the hardware, you deliver the mission.

Between the two of you, systems engineering is covered. You own system-level requirements and interfaces, and you own whether engineering's bottoms-up budgets close against what the mission demands. You're the internal voice of the customer — pressure-testing engineering decisions against requirements, then representing the program to customers with well-formed positions. You manage the program schedule, track critical path, and keep customers aligned. You're the person who knows whether the program is on track and what to do when it isn't. You're also the technical counterpart to business development — when we pursue new missions, you ensure what we sign up to is executable before we commit.

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

Responsibilities

Own and maintain the integrated master schedule (IMS), critical path analysis, and milestone tracking
Own system-level requirements — capture in the digital twin toolchain, flow down to subsystem teams
Own system budget closure against mission and customer requirements — engineering maintains the bottoms-up budgets (mass, power, data, link), you own whether they close with adequate margin and drive resolution when they don't
Represent the customer and mission perspective within engineering — challenge system trades and design decisions against requirements, build consensus with the engineering team, and bring well-formed positions to customer negotiations
Manage customer interface — payload requirements, ICD negotiations, and schedule alignment across all manifest slots
Manage the satellite manifest — which sat gets which payload, build order, configuration tracking
Negotiate launch contracts and manage the launch vehicle provider relationship
Plan and coordinate the launch campaign — launch site logistics, range compliance, satellite shipping and stacking sequence
Plan facility readiness — engineering offices, avionics lab, manufacturing floor, clean room, TVAC, vibe, integration bay