Director, Civil Programs

Director of Civil Programs 

Vast is looking for a  Director of Civil Programs, reporting to the SVP of Product and Business Development. As a Director of Civil Programs, you develop to serve the needs of NASA and other customers in the post-International Space Station era using Vast space stations. You will work closely with engineering, operations, safety, manufacturing, and business development teams to prepare Vast to successfully bid on NASA’s CLD certification and services contract. The role requires personal drive to identify opportunities, develop the necessary relationships, and ultimately execute contracts that will define the trajectory of Vast.

This will be a full-time, exempt position located on-site at our Long Beach, CA  location. 

Responsibilities: 

• Manage customer contract execution, from initial customer contact through completion of the mission.
• Manage the company’s development of its Commercial LEO Destination to bid on NASA’s CLD phase-2 competition
• Manage development of CLD system requirements and their allocation across system elements 
• Collaborate with the Communications & Marketing team in creating marketing materials and strategic communications. 
• Remain up-to-date on the latest Commercial LEO Destinations competitive landscape and market, determine pricing, and formulate strategic direction. 
• Develop and manage large U.S. Government proposal planning, preparation, and submission. 
• Ensure Vast products are meeting or exceeding U.S. Government proposal and program requirements and establish and guide program disciplines that meet those goals
• Represent Vast at public events such as industry conferences and speaking engagements.
• Develop and manage budget for projects and be accountable for delivering against established cost and schedule goals/objectives
• Work with other program managers to identify synergies and opportunities 
• Analyze, evaluate, and overcome program risks
• Produce program reports for company leadership
• Support customer program deliverables such as status updates and milestone reviews. Responsible for crafting and presenting both programmatic and technical material.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science degree in engineering or science discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in a program management role in the aerospace, space or hard tech industry.

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Master’s degree in an engineering discipline.
• Experience in crafting presentations which includes building out compelling storylines, presenting data to audiences, and pushing the key messages.
• Strong ability to prioritize and successfully drive a project from beginning to end and to work across multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to thrive in a startup environment with the ingenuity to define and implement efficient processes for effective work execution in a matrixed cross-functional environment.
• Self-motivated and creative solutions-focused mentality.
• Passion for the space industry and changing “business-as-usual” paradigms.
• Ability to discuss technical systems and practical applications to a variety of audiences.
• Ability to draft and manage matrixed team contributing to large U.S. Government proposals (RFPs)
• Ability to make independent judgments with limited information
• Logical and strategic approach to solving problems
• Comfortable working in a high-stress environment balancing several projects at any given time, and the flexibility to adjust for abrupt changes in strategic direction.

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to travel up to 25% of the time