{"id":2620938,"url":"https://alion.io/job/vastspace-propulsion-test-engineer-2","title":"Propulsion Test Engineer","company":{"id":185145,"name":"Vast","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":75,"open_postings":59,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":1,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":null,"computed_at":"2026-10-16T05:45:00Z"}},"role":"Enterprise Apps","role_family":"Enterprise Apps","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":["Mojave, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":86000,"max":120000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":120000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":2,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Confluence","optional":true},{"name":"MATLAB","optional":true},{"name":"Python","optional":true},{"name":"Visual Basic","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2025-09-24T16:48:18Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-14","last_verified_at":"2026-10-16T03:49:05Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":386,"trust":{"level":"stale","repost_count":0,"flags":["stale"],"days_open":386},"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 an Propulsion Test Engineer, reporting to the Senior Manager, Engineering (E-2), to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations.\nThis will be afull-time, exempt position located in our Mojave location. \nResponsibilities: \nSit on console as Test Conductor and Test Director running hotfires of the E-2 LOX/Kerosene oxidizer-rich staged combustion engine. \nPlan and lead hazardous operations including work with high pressures and cryogenic fluids.\nAssist in driving engine development, qualification, and acceptance test campaigns to completion.\nAuthor and maintain test procedures, sequences, and configuration files for hazardous operations.\nSupport Test Readiness Reviews (TRRs). \nWork side by side with the test stand technicians during fabrication of test stand hardware and integration of test articles.\nWork on projects to design and modify fluid and electrical systems on the engine test stands.\nTroubleshoot fluid, mechanical, electrical, and software related systems on the test stands. \nImplement continuous improvements to improve safety and test site productivity.\nMinimum Qualifications:\nBachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline.\n2+ years of experience in the operation, design and development of fluid systems, or hardware testing.\nPreferred Skills & Experience:\nExperience handling cryogenic fluids.\nExperience with NX and Teamcenter.\nExperience with Epsilon3.\nExperience with JIRA / Confluence.\nExperience with coding languages (Python, Matlab, Visual Basic).\nExperience building and testing high pressure fluid/gas systems.\nExperience reviewing data and taking corrective actions based on findings.\nExperience with common instrumentation and controls systems and sensors.\nTube fitting & bending, familiar with common industry fittings systems.\nRead & interpret Plumbing and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs).\nExcellent communication skills, both written and oral, along with effective teamwork abilities.\nAbility to work in multi-disciplinary teams.\nAbility and willingness to thrive in a fast-paced, rapidly changing work environment.\nAdditional Requirements:\nWillingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones.\nAbility to lift up to 50 lbs unassisted and work in an outdoor, physically demanding test environment (from freezing conditions to temps up to 120 degrees fahrenheit).\nPay Range: \nPropulsion Test Engineer I: $86,000 - $120,000\nPropulsion Test Engineer II: $110,000 - $155,000\nPay Range: California\n$86,000—$155,000 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":5955,"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":["Space & Aerospace"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-15T13:23:20Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":2,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.075,"p_room":0.28,"age_days":386,"expected_fill_days":24,"reasons":["conf:1","stale_co","win:tail","crowd:junior,brand"],"computed_at":"2026-10-16T05:45:00Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":120000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/vastspace-propulsion-test-engineer-2","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/vastspace-propulsion-test-engineer-2.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-16T07:08:35Z","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":4923,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-17T00:00:00Z"}},"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-propulsion-test-engineer-2"},{"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-propulsion-test-engineer-2"},{"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-propulsion-test-engineer-2"},{"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-propulsion-test-engineer-2\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fvastspace-propulsion-test-engineer-2"}]}