Senior Procurement & Supply Chain Specialist

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 Senior Procurement & Supply Chain Specialist to own demand planning, strategic sourcing, and procurement execution for all externally sourced components on a new constellation-ready spacecraft bus — a product line designed to scale to hundreds of spacecraft per year.

You'll be the one-stop shop for the satellite bus supply chain — demand planning and buying in a single role. This program has over a dozen externally sourced component types across ADCS sensors, propulsion, comms, power, and mechanisms, all needing to be planned, sourced, procured, tracked, and delivered for a multi-satellite vehicle build. Several items have long lead times and require immediate action. You'll own the full lifecycle: demand planning from BOMs and engineering requirements, strategic sourcing and supplier selection, contract negotiation, delivery tracking, and material readiness — making sure the program is always clear-to-build.

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

Responsibilities: 

• Own all COTS procurement campaigns end-to-end: demand planning, industry survey, RFQ/RFP, vendor evaluation and down-selection, contract negotiation, purchase order, delivery tracking, incoming inspection coordination
• Own demand and supply planning — translate BOMs and engineering requirements into procurement actions, manage lead times, and ensure material readiness for the vehicle build schedule
• Own multiple commodity categories — COTS spacecraft components, PCBs, PCBAs, raw materials and metals, machined parts, coatings, and test house services
• Procure COTS components across all subsystems — ADCS, comms, power, propulsion, and mechanisms — several with long lead times requiring immediate action
• Drive strategic sourcing — develop and optimize the supply base, negotiate pricing and terms, and build cost reduction strategies for multi-unit buys
• Manage vendor relationships — technical exchanges, schedule updates, delivery commitments, supplier performance tracking
• Own material readiness reporting — Clear-to-Build status, shortage reports, delivery risk tracking, and procurement status dashboards for program leadership
• Respond to engineering changes — update demand forecasts and supply plans when requirements evolve, and communicate impact to vendors and program leadership
• Coordinate incoming inspection and acceptance testing with receiving engineers
• Manage purchase orders, contracts, and vendor documentation
• Ensure export control / ITAR compliance for all procured items
• Track component obsolescence risks and manage part alternates where needed

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Business, or a related discipline
• 5+ years of procurement or supply chain experience in aerospace or defense
• Aerospace or defense procurement experience — you've bought flight-qualified hardware components
• Demand planning experience — translating BOMs and engineering requirements into procurement timelines and material readiness plans
• Managed long-lead-time procurements (6-12+ months) and know how to drive urgency with vendors
• Experience with RFQ/RFP processes, contract negotiation, vendor evaluation, and down-selection
• ITAR/EAR compliance knowledge for component procurement
• Strong tracking and communication skills — the program depends on you knowing exactly where every PO stands
• Comfortable working with engineers to translate technical requirements into procurement specs

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Able to obtain a security clearance
• Familiar with space-grade component vendors (star tracker, IMU, reaction wheel, thruster, solar array component suppliers)
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems for demand planning and purchase order management
• Multi-unit procurement experience (buying 10x+ of everything, not just one-off flight units)
• Cost reduction and value engineering experience — should-cost analysis, BOM cost breakdowns
• Component obsolescence management and part alternate qualification
• Experience building a procurement function — you'll be the first dedicated procurement hire and will scale the team as the program grows
• Incoming inspection and acceptance test coordination experience

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.