Director, Avionics Electronic Engineering

Long Beach, California, United States

At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. Vast is developing next-generation space stations 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. Using an incremental, hardware-rich and low-cost approach, Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station. 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, followed by additional Haven modules to enable permanent human presence by 2030. Our team is all-in, committed to executing our mission safely and on time. If you want to work with the most talented people on Earth furthering space exploration for humanity, come join us.

Vast is seeking a Director, Avionics Electrical Engineering to lead the strategy, development, and execution of avionics systems that will power the world’s first artificial-gravity, human-rated space stations. This role will drive technical excellence, organizational leadership, and cross-functional alignment across programs critical to Vast’s mission.

Responsibilities

  • Define the long-term vision, roadmap, and organizational structure for the Avionics team in support of human-rated spacecraft and space station programs.
  • Build, mentor, and scale a high-performing, diverse engineering organization, empowering teams to own designs from concept through on-orbit operations.
  • Foster a culture centered on safety, excellence, extreme ownership, accountability, and collaborative innovation.
  • Provide technical leadership and oversight across multiple avionics electrical engineering activities, including architecture development, hardware design, test strategy, and integration.
  • Guide engineering teams in designing, developing, and delivering high-reliability avionics systems optimized for extreme environments and human-rated missions.
  • Review, challenge, and elevate engineering decisions, ensuring system-level thinking, risk awareness, and robust technical justification.
  • Partner closely with program management, systems engineering, structures, propulsion, software, and manufacturing teams to align design criteria and translate mission needs into verifiable requirements.
  • Establish program-level verification and validation milestones—including analyses, demonstrations, and tests—to ensure mission readiness and overall program success.
  • Develop and implement engineering standards, quality protocols, documentation frameworks, and design best practices to improve reliability, efficiency, and repeatability across the organization.
  • Champion improvements in avionics manufacturing, test coverage, and hardware reliability through data-driven decision-making and hands-on engineering insight.

Minimum Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
  • 8+ years of experience in electrical circuit design, analysis, and testing.
  • 5+ years of engineering leadership experience with direct responsibility for technical teams.
  • Expertise with avionics test equipment (oscilloscopes, multimeters, current probes).
  • Proven experience with analog, digital, and/or mixed-signal PCB design and multi-layer PCB development.
  • Proficiency with Altium or similar ECAD design tools.
  • Experience managing complex technical development projects from requirements through delivery.
  • Familiarity with circuit simulation tools such as LTSpice or SIMPLIS.
  • Strong understanding of electronics manufacturing processes and test strategy development.
  • Hands-on experience sizing, integrating, and troubleshooting electronic components and assemblies.

Preferred Skills & Experience

  • Demonstrated success deploying hardware with spaceflight heritage.
  • Knowledge of spacecraft avionics systems, space environment impacts, and human-rated system requirements.
  • Experience supporting or leading crewed space mission operations.
  • Ability to communicate complex technical information clearly to varied audiences, including executives, partners, and cross-functional teams.
  • Exceptional problem-solving abilities, capable of making informed design and development decisions with incomplete data while balancing multidisciplinary constraints.
  • Highly self-motivated with strong organizational, documentation, and communication skills.
  • Familiarity with NASA standards (e.g., EEE-INST-002, 8739.10) and other spaceflight-relevant requirements.
    Experience establishing engineering standards, quality processes, and performance optimization frameworks.

 

Salary Rang:

Director, Engineering (M5) $182,942 - $223,100 - $267,720

Pay Range: California

$182,942 - $267,720 USD

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: 100% 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.

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