Sensor Development Engineer I at Vast in Long Beach, CA

Entry LevelOn-siteFull-timeLong Beach, CA$86k–$122k/yr

Skills

labviewsimulinkbeckhoffpythoncad

Job Description

At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. Vast is developing next-generation space stations 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. Using an incremental, hardware-rich and low-cost approach, Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station. 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, followed by additional Haven modules to enable permanent human presence by 2030. 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 Sensor Development Engineer I, reporting to the Senior Manager, Sensor Development, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations. As part of the Sensor Development Team, you will be a cross-disciplinary engineer collaborating with Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS), Avionics, and Flight Software, to design and execute next-generation sensors for low-earth orbit. You will create and validate test stands for atmospheric sensing, contribute to sensor system architecture for the Haven program, and provide support for flight software firmware and mission CONOPs.

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

Responsibilities:

Design, build, and validate test stands for the sensor development team
Coordinate with the Embedded Software, ECLSS Test, and AVI Test teams to implement best practices for unique sensor requirements
Participate in sensor design for the Haven program, contributing unique ideas to environmental sensing in low-earth orbit

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Chemical Engineering, or in Chemistry, Physics, Biology, or related subfields
Project or coursework experience designing, building, and testing sensors

Preferred Skills & Experience:

1+ years experience designing, building, and testing sensors
Hands-on experience with optics, lasers, piezoelectric materials, and electrochemical cells
Hands-on experience with scientific instrumentation, including lock-in amplifiers, waveform generators, oscilloscopes, power supplies, and spectrum analyzers
Hands-on experience with spectroscopic instrumentation, including UV-VIS spectrometers, Mass Spectrometers, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance instruments, and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) or Raman Spectrometers
Experience using standard data acquisition platforms, such as LabView, Simulink, and Beckhoff
Comfortable using Python for data analysis
Comfortable using CAD for 3D printing
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:

Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones
Ability to lift up to 25lbs unassisted

Pay Range: California

$86,000—$122,000 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, 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 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.