Senior Power Systems Engineer Verified today

About Vast

Vast is developing next-generation space stations and space infrastructure using an incremental, hardware-rich, and low-cost approach. The company recently achieved Haven Demo's 2025 success, making Vast the only operational commercial space station company to fly and operate its own spacecraft. Haven-1 is expected to become the world's first commercial space station when it launches in 2027. Vast has also announced Vast Satellite, a high-power satellite product line leveraging space station components.

The Role

You will be a Senior Power Systems Engineer reporting to the Senior Manager, Avionics and Power Systems, supporting development of systems for high-power satellites. This is a full-time, exempt position in Long Beach, California.

Responsibilities

• Own the satellite power system end-to-end, including architectural trades, functional and technical interface definitions (hardware and software), hierarchical requirements specification, and verification and validation planning and execution.
• Serve as the technical authority for the spacecraft power system. Own flight readiness assessment, disposition nonconformances and waivers, and hold final sign-off authority on power system configuration for launch.
• Define ground and flight power modes and own the power budget. Build and defend first-principles energy balance models that size generation, storage, and margin across orbit geometries, eclipse profiles, and off-nominal modes.
• Decompose system requirements into unit-level requirements at the circuit and functional level, covering voltage and current ranges, regulation, ripple, efficiency, inrush and fault current limits, protection, isolation, margin, and derating. Define and execute corresponding verification.
• Drive power-relevant design decisions across mechanical, thermal, propulsion, GNC, and flight software. Surface unresolved interface conflicts and secure convergence on integrated design.
• Partner with Responsible Engineers on component-level design and test approach, ensuring component specifications trace to system-level power requirements.
• Perform system-level failure modes, effects, and criticality analyses to motivate reliability design and validation plans.
• Work closely with Satellite Vehicle Lead to manage power system deliverables and execute spacecraft-level integration and test. Perform real-time troubleshooting and drive root-cause analysis.
• Keep power systems designs consistent with modular platform engineering principles across programs. Maintain system designs, processes, and validation techniques.
• Own all documentation for satellite power systems, ensuring trade decisions and technical specifications are fully documented.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or other engineering discipline.
• 5+ years of professional or project experience in spacecraft electrical systems design.
• Experience designing spacecraft power systems from initial requirements.
• Experience with high voltage power systems above 100 V.
• Experience with lifecycle development as it relates to space systems, including requirement definition, design solutions, integration, validation and verification, qualification, and operation.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience with spacecraft power hardware, including lithium-ion battery systems, solar arrays and solar array drive assemblies, peak power tracking and regulation, and power distribution units.
• Proficiency building energy balance and power budget models in Python, MATLAB/Simulink, or equivalent, including orbital illumination and eclipse analysis.
• Understanding of electrical schematics and electronics manufacturing sufficient to analyze and improve test coverage.
• Competence with electrical test equipment such as multimeters, oscilloscopes, network analyzers, and power supplies.
• Experience with vehicle and instrumentation buses such as Ethernet, CAN, SPI, and I/O, as well as serial I/O (RS232/422/485).
• Experience designing electronics for the spaceflight environment and verifying workmanship and operability through environmental test, including random vibration, shock, thermal, burn-in, and TVAC.
• Rigorous validation mindset and ability to make sound design decisions with incomplete data, weighing risk against competing multi-disciplinary requirements.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and strong accountability and documentation discipline.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to travel up to 10% to support launch campaigns.
• Comfortable balancing several projects with flexibility to adjust for changes in strategic direction.
• Willingness to work evenings and weekends to support critical mission milestones.

Compensation

Base salary range: $112,340 to $195,552 USD, commensurate with experience and demonstrated capability. Full-time employees receive company equity and comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage; 20+ days vacation for exempt staff; paid parental leave; short and long-term disability insurance; life insurance; 401(k) retirement plan; ClassPass credits; mental health support through Spring Health; free snacks, coffee, and dinner; and subsidized lunch.

Export Control

The person hired will have access to information and items subject to U.S. export controls and must either be a U.S. person as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.62 or otherwise eligible for deemed export licensing. This includes U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and asylees and refugees with such status granted, not pending.