{"id":2620921,"url":"https://alion.io/job/vastspace-mechanisms-engineer","title":"Mechanisms Engineer","company":{"id":185145,"name":"Vast Space","domain":"vastspace.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/vastspace","size_band":"501-1000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":84,"open_postings":62,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.629,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":51,"computed_at":"2026-10-26T05:57:25Z"}},"role":"Aerospace","role_family":"Aerospace","seniority":"junior","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Long Beach, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":112340,"max":230000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":230000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":2,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"ANSYS","optional":true},{"name":"CATIA","optional":true},{"name":"Femap","optional":true},{"name":"GD&T","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-12T01:34:13Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-20","last_verified_at":"2026-10-26T22:59:27Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":45,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":45},"description":"Vast is developing next-generation space stations and space infrastructure using an incremental, hardware-rich, and low-cost approach. Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station 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. 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 in 2027, followed by additional Haven modules. Additionally, the company recently announced Vast Satellite, a high-power satellite product line leveraging its space station components and the heritage of Haven Demo.\nHeadquartered inLong Beach, California, and with more than 1,000 employees and over a billion dollars in private capital, Vast has built the facilities required to manufacture and operate America’s next space station. The company plans to develop future habitats and systems for the Moon and Mars, dedicated space stations for government partners, and other crewed systems that will unlock the expanding long-term space economy.\nVast is looking for a Mechanisms Engineer, reporting to the Sr. Manager of Mechanisms, to support the development of space mechanisms. \nThis will be a full-time,exempt position located in our Long Beach location.\nResponsibilities: \nDevelop mechanisms from ideation to flight: design, analyze, build, test, and iteration. Some mechanisms include motorized assemblies, linkages, spring/damper systems, rotating hardware, and crew-operated assemblies\nOwn critical spacecraft hardware/systems, assuming profound responsibility for their hardware\nInterface with a world-class production team to ensure successful translation of designs into spacecraft\nMinimum Qualifications:\nBachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, aerospace, or similar engineering\n2+ years of experience in the design, build, and/or test of mechanisms, structures, valves, or other mechanical systems\nPreferred Skills & Experience:\nThriving in a team that emphasizes rapid prototyping, quick iteration, and a general bias towards action\nStrong understanding of spacecraft and/or launch vehicle mechanisms and mechanical assemblies\nExperience in NX/Teamcenter or other CAD packages (PTC Creo, CATIA) with a solid understanding and application of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) per ASME Y14.5\nProfessional or project experience with FEMAP, ANSYS, or similar finite element analysis (FEA) software tools, as well as a good understanding of fatigue, fracture, and crack propagation\nKnowledge of metallic manufacturing techniques, processes, equipment, and other processes such as machining, welding, riveting, bending, assembling, etc.\nGood understanding and experience working with aerospace materials (metals, plastics, composites)\nSolid understanding of test methods/setups and data acquisition systems\nAbility to perform trade studies using first principles and engineering fundamentals to make clear recommendations even with partial information\nPassion for advancing the commercial space industry and human spaceflight\nAble to work well in an integrated collaborative team environment, including frequent interactions with technicians, other engineers, managers, and support teams\nHighly self-motivated with strong organizational and written/oral communication skills - able to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment with the ongoing drive for continuous improvement in all aspects of work\nAdditional Requirements:\nUp to 10% travel to remote sites and vendors as needed\nPay Range: California\n$112,340—$230,000 USD\nWe calibrate level and compensation to the selected candidate's experience and demonstrated capability. We welcome applicants across a range of experience levels to apply.\nCOMPENSATION AND BENEFITS\n\nBase 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: 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.\n\nU.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS\n 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.\nEQUAL OPPORTUNITY\nVast 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.","description_format":"text","description_chars":5878,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":2,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity","Life insurance","Parental leave","Retirement plans"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Manufacturing","Space & Aerospace","Aerospace Manufacturing","Satellite Manufacturing"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-15T13:23:20Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":32,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.537,"p_room":0.6,"age_days":44,"expected_fill_days":51,"reasons":["conf:2","stale_co","velocity","win:late","crowd:junior,brand"],"computed_at":"2026-10-26T05:57:25Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":230000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/vastspace-mechanisms-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/vastspace-mechanisms-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-27T02:53:30Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":2187,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-28T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":185145},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=185145"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fvastspace-mechanisms-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fvastspace-mechanisms-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fvastspace-mechanisms-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/vastspace-mechanisms-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fvastspace-mechanisms-engineer"}]}