Vast

Senior Test Engineer

Long Beach, California, United States

$135-170k

Full Time

a month ago

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Job description

At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. We are building artificial gravity space stations, allowing long-term stays in space without the adverse effects of zero-gravity. Our initial crewed space habitat will be Haven-1, scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station when it launches into low earth orbit in August 2025. Our team is all-in, committed to executing our mission safely and on time. If you want to work with the most talented people on Earth furthering space exploration for humanity, come join us.

Vast is looking for a Senior Test Engineer, reporting to the Senior Manager of Structures Test, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations. This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location. In this role, you will support the ongoing development of our Haven-1 space station module, with a primary focus on primary and secondary structures testing. You will work closely with design REs, test technicians, and other teams such as Manufacturing, Integration, and Avionics to meet design/mission requirements and industry standards.

Responsibilities:

Work under the direction of the Senior Manager of Structures Test to develop and execute testing on primary and secondary structure of the Haven-1 Space Station
Mentor other engineers and technicians on the team
Adhere to, enforce, and improve the test processes and good practices of Vast and the test organization
Produce professional and traceable documentation, including electrical, mechanical, and fluid schematics of the test systems
Work with responsible engineers to design, prepare, and execute test campaigns. This includes the manufacture of new test stands and/or operation of existing resources
Perform all necessary design, analysis, and project management
Conduct PDR (Preliminary Design Review) and/or CDR (Critical Design Review) before all design/tests are started
Find creative solutions to unique issues in order to save cost and schedule while improving overall quality and safety
Come up with great ideas and be empowered to make them a reality
Design, analyze, and own the test setup
Continuous learning/Improvement—and share them with your team members
Perform other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree or higher in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or other engineering discipline
5+ years of experience in an engineering environment (test, launch, manufacturing, etc.)

Preferred Skills & Experience:

Ability to design and perform product environmental testing based on the requirements provided in SMC-S-016, GEVS NASA-STD-7000a, MIL STD 810G. etc.
Experience planning and executing engineering operations in a time-sensitive and high-risk environment
Own assembly, checkouts and development test stands
Ability to quickly understand and troubleshoot new/existing systems
Experience writing and executing test plans/procedures in collaboration with design engineers
Experience with designing and implementing instrumentation systems
Experience in structural design and analysis of test fixtures
Experience working across engineering groups to define requirements and implement solutions
Execute deliverables based on prioritized implementation plans and timelines
Ability to rapidly change priorities between several projects
Identify key unknowns and quickly close knowledge gaps
Deliver the highest value results quickly and iterate towards successive milestones
Perform structured root cause analysis of test failures
Experience designing and/or working with closed-loop control systems (hydraulic / pressure systems)
Experience with NI (National Instruments) LabVIEW software troubleshooting and modification
Experience working with DAQ hardware i.e. NI PXI, cRIO, cDAQ, or Dewesoft
Experience operating / working with high-pressure gas systems
Experience generating test system P&IDs (Piping and Instrumentation Diagram) using Visio / Lucidchart or equivalent
Experience with creating and maintaining project schedules with Smartsheet, Project or equivalent
Experience with SVN, GIT, or other version management systems
Experience with Teamcenter or other PLM systems
Experience with CAD systems, NX preferable
Experience with JIRA and/or Confluence
Experience with selection of precision sensor and measurement devices
Ability to thrive as an individual contributor and as part of a team
Ability to add something unique and positive to our team
Generally high level of all-around awesomeness

Additional Requirements:

Must be able to travel to our Mojave Test site (25%- travel)
Must be able to work varying hours/shifts and available for extended hours as well as weekends when needed
Must be able to stoop, bend, crawl, and be able to maneuver in tight spaces; physically able to handle items weighing up to 25lbs (unassisted)
Ability and desire to perform in a fast-paced, rapidly changing work environment

Salary Range: California

$135,000—$170,000 USD

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: 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, flexible paid time off for exempt staff and up to 15 days of vacation for non-exempt staff, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, free catered meals and snacks and beverages, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, One Medical membership, ClassPass credits, personalized mental healthcare through Spring Health, and other discounts and perks.

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 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.