Senior Structures Engineer, Lunar Verified today

Vast is developing next-generation space stations and space infrastructure using an incremental, hardware-rich, and low-cost approach. Haven Demo's 2025 success made Vast the only operational commercial space station company to fly and operate its own spacecraft. Haven-1 is expected to launch in 2027, followed by additional Haven modules. The company is now building systems for the Moon and Mars.

We are seeking a Senior Structures Engineer, Lunar to support development of Vast's lunar ecosystem. As one of the earliest Structures Engineers on the Lunar team, you will play a core role in designing systems ranging from the primary pressure hull and lunar surface habitat structures, to secondary structures, closeouts, mechanisms, and micrometeoroid shielding.

What you will do

• Serve as the accountable owner (Responsible Engineer) for end-to-end lunar engineering projects such as habitation modules, airlocks, nodes, and pallets.
• Work with lunar subject matter experts and systems architects to bring lunar concepts to reality that mesh with Vast's larger lunar ecosystem and NASA's Moon Base architecture.
• Own the design and CAD (NX or equivalent) development of primary and secondary structures for the lunar ecosystem.
• Develop understanding of static and dynamic loads, vibrations, thermal, and other environmental considerations unique to the lunar surface to drive design decisions.
• Define structural requirements, design loads, and safety margins for a human-rated pressurized structure operating in the lunar environment.
• Perform mechanical design and analysis, develop manufacturing drawings, and follow hardware through the entire process from concept to build.
• Lead trades and own interfaces with subsystems, including pressure vessel architecture, hatch and seal mechanisms, and material selection for lunar exposure conditions.
• Work with fabricators and technicians to improve designs, develop processes, and resolve issues.
• Define and execute test and verification plans, including structural, pressure, and hatch and seal performance testing.
• Support hardware bring-up, checkout, and anomaly resolution during build and test.
• Represent the subsystem at design reviews, coordinating with Life Support, Thermal, Power, and Avionics teams on interface requirements.
• Help establish design standards and practices for the Lunar program as its first structures hire.

Minimum qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Civil Engineering, Physics, Mathematics or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in structural design of aerospace pressurized or human-rated hardware, with direct ownership from design through hardware delivery.
• 5+ years of experience with CAD and FEA software packages (NX or equivalent) and experience with GD&T implementation and analysis (ASME Y14.5).
• Demonstrated experience owning a structural hardware item end-to-end (design, build, and test), not solely in an analysis capacity.

Preferred skills and experience

• Experience working on lunar engineering programs.
• Design of structures and components for a high-performance vehicle or spacecraft.
• Experience designing pressure vessels, hatches, or airlock mechanisms for crewed spacecraft or habitats.
• Familiarity with spacecraft structural specifications such as SMC-S-016 and NASA-STD-5001.
• Analysis work in recent versions of Ansys, Femap/Nastran, or Abaqus.
• Experience leading hardware through structural verification testing (proof pressure, burst, functional seal and hatch cycling).
• Familiarity with the lunar surface or deep-space thermal, radiation, and solar environment, or equivalent extreme-environment design experience.
• Prior experience in a fast-paced commercial space or startup hardware environment, comfortable with high ownership and limited process overhead.

Additional requirements

• Ability to travel up to 5% of the time to support vendors, partnership or customer meetings.
• Willingness to work evenings and or weekends to support critical mission milestones.
• Must be a U.S. person as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.62, including U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, and asylees or refugees with such status granted.

Compensation and location

This is a full-time, exempt position located in Long Beach, California. Base salary ranges from $137,000 to $230,000 USD, calibrated to your experience and demonstrated capability.

Full-time employees receive company equity and comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage, generous paid time off, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, ClassPass credits, personalized mental healthcare, and exceptional food perks with free snacks, coffee, cold drinks, and dinner meals, plus subsidized lunch.