Senior Manager, Avionics and Power Systems

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.

Headquartered 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.

Vast is looking for a Avionics & Power Systems Engineering Manager, reporting to the Senior Director of Avionics Systems Engineering, Integration, and Test, to develop world-class Avionics  & Power Systems for Vast’s human rated space station and next-generation satellite programs,

This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location.

Responsibilities: 

• Hire and manage a team of world-class avionics and power systems engineers. 
• Negotiate between business and technical stakeholders to establish program requirements and drive system-level architecture trades to closure. 
• Develop and own the fault management strategy for the avionics and power subsystems. 
• Lead cross-functional engineering teams to capture system-level operating modes, fault tolerance requirements, constraints, and behaviors and drive their implementation in the avionics and power systems.
• Drive the generation of Failure Mode, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) for Avionics and Power Systems.
• Quantify Avionics and Power System performance metrics and sensitivities to drive technical decisions using analysis or modeling infrastructure. 
• Identify Avionics and Power System verification milestones in the form of analyses, demonstrations, inspections, and tests to ensure program success. 
• Own the vehicle Interface Control Document (ICD) and all of the processes and tools which achieve configuration control across the entire vehicle, keeping hardware and software teams synchronized.
• Define and own vehicle and system level verification campaigns. Work closely with Avionics Test and Integration Test teams to ensure timely and accurate execution of verification events.
• Lead efforts to consolidate verification reports and support Final Verification Review for Avionics and Power Systems for each program.
• Work closely with the Vehicle Systems Engineering team to develop and maintain Validation & Verification tracking processes and supporting tools
• Supervise Avionics & Power Systems engineers to deliver tasks to time and quality requirements. Support team to establish relative priorities between tasks.
• Lead Avionics & Power Systems Engineering team to produce high quality documentation for program milestone requirements.
• Serve as a mentor for junior engineers with the team on best practices in Systems Engineering.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or other hard science
• 8+ years of post bachelor’s experience working with aerospace avionics systems
• 2+ years of experience leading or managing cross functional teams developing a product with complexity in operations and design; direct people management experience required.

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Demonstrated experience championing a culture of systems engineering, heavily emphasizing verification and validation through analysis and test with a test-like-you-fly mentality. 
• End-to-end experience leading Validation and Verification (V&V) campaigns
• Experience leading requirements analysis and decomposition activities
• Track record of deploying products with successful space flight heritage. 
• Experience in space flight operations, ideally supporting vehicle operations plans and procedures for human space flight. 
• Experience designing vehicle power systems against complex safety and fault tolerance requirements.
• Strong documentation and communication skills.
• Experience with industry standard Systems Engineering principles and best practices.

Additional Requirements:

• Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones

Pay Range: California

$160,720—$261,900 USD

We calibrate level and compensation to the selected candidate's experience and demonstrated capability. We welcome applicants across a range of experience levels to apply.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Base 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.

U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS

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.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Vast 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.