Design Reliability Engineer Verified today

About this role

Vast is developing next-generation space stations and space infrastructure. You will support the development of systems required for artificial-gravity human-rated space stations, reporting to the Director of Design Reliability.

This is a full-time exempt position in Long Beach, California.

What you will own

Technical Leadership

• Lead technical reviews that shape artificial-gravity space habitat design, providing decisive guidance during milestone design reviews and risk gates
• Oversee qualification and test completeness for flight systems, ensuring robust test campaigns aligned with human-rated reliability standards
• Identify risks early in test campaigns and help teams converge on safe, resilient solutions
• Evaluate complex design and operational changes to safeguard technical integrity

Design Excellence

• Architect and maintain Vast's engineering standards, design guides, and review frameworks
• Make engineering best practices accessible to teams working under ambitious program timelines
• Support and elevate engineering teams across the organization with broad experience in design, build cycles, integration, and test
• Capture lessons learned and strengthen future standards

Process Ownership

• Build and refine design review templates, reliability checklists, and internal design guides
• Track design maturity and compliance across the station and vehicle architecture
• Build tools, frameworks, and automation that enable engineers to explore design trade-offs and risks with clarity and speed

Cross-Functional Influence

• Partner with configuration and change management to ensure flight hardware updates are intentional, reviewed, and fully understood
• Work with the internal software team to ensure system data, configuration details, and design decisions are well organized and accessible

Minimum qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field
• 5+ years of experience in responsible engineering, design ownership, systems integration, test engineering, or reliability-focused development
• Demonstrated experience conducting design reviews, qualification reviews, or major change assessments
• Strong communicator and collaborative leader with high emotional intelligence and ability to influence at all levels
• Resilient, curious, and committed to continuous learning in fast-paced or high-pressure environments

Preferred qualifications

• Experience in Responsible Engineering, Systems Engineering, Office of the Chief Engineer, or Reliability Engineering roles on complex aerospace systems
• Hands-on experience designing, assembling, integrating, or testing hardware
• Background with spacecraft, aircraft, launch vehicles, or mission- or safety-critical systems
• Familiarity with fracture control, reliability methodologies, or human-rated hardware standards
• Experience creating engineering standards, review templates, or technical guidance frameworks
• Strong scripting and data analysis skills (Python, MATLAB, Excel) and familiarity with visualization tools such as Tableau
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes, materials selection, and hardware qualification pathways
• Strong systems-level intuition and ability to anticipate and articulate risks early

Additional requirements

• Willingness to work overtime or weekends to support critical mission milestones
• Must be a U.S. person as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.62 or otherwise eligible for deemed export licensing, including U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, and asylees and refugees with such status granted

Compensation

Base salary: $137,000 to $195,000 USD, based on experience and demonstrated capability.

Full-time employees receive company equity and comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage; paid time off (20+ days vacation for exempt staff, 10+ days for non-exempt); paid parental leave; short and long-term disability insurance; life insurance; 401(k) retirement plan; ClassPass credits; mental healthcare through Spring Health; and free snacks, coffee, cold drinks, and meals with subsidized lunch.