Senior People Operations Program 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 looking for a Senior People Operations Program Specialist, reporting to the Senior Manager, People Operations, to serve as the primary owner of contingent workforce operations, advisor onboarding, and international workforce programs. As Vast’s workforce needs scales during peak periods, additional support is needed to complement our existing teams that are designing and building human-rated space stations. Furthermore, as Vast’s presence outside of the United States continues to grow and scale, the Senior People Operations Program Specialist will lay the groundwork and structure for international HR operations.

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

A successful candidate will be a highly organized and detail-oriented Senior People Operations Program Specialist to own the onboarding, lifecycle management, and offboarding processes for our contingent workforce, independent consultants, advisors, and other non-employee workers. This role will partner closely with Hiring Managers, Supply Chain, Legal, IT, Security, Finance, and People Operations to ensure a seamless worker experience while maintaining compliance with company policies, worker classification requirements, and operational controls. In addition, as Vast’s international operations deepens in our offices in Japan and France, or expands further, the Senior People Operations Program Specialist will liaise between headquarters and global offices on their HR needs. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys building scalable processes, and can balance exceptional service delivery with strong compliance and risk management practices.

Key Responsibilities

Contingent Workforce & Consultant Operations

• Serve as the primary People Operations point of contact for contingent workers, independent consultants, advisors, and staffing agency personnel.
• Manage end-to-end onboarding and offboarding processes for all non-employee workers.
• Design, implement, and continuously improve scalable contractor onboarding and offboarding programs that provide structure, visibility, accountability, and consistency across the organization.
• Coordinate onboarding activities, including documentation collection, background screening initiation, confidentiality agreements, and required policy acknowledgments.
• Partner with Supply Chain, Legal, and hiring managers to verify approved Statements of Work (SOWs), consulting agreements, purchase orders, and engagement documentation before onboarding.
• Ensure worker classification requirements are followed and escalate potential independent contractor misclassification concerns.
• Track engagement dates, contract renewals, extensions, and planned end dates.
• Facilitate consultant and contractor extensions, renewals, and terminations in partnership with business stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate contingent workforce records and reporting within HRIS and related systems.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Partner with IT to coordinate system access, equipment provisioning, and access removal.
• Collaborate with Operations and Security  teams regarding badge access and workspace needs.
• Work closely with Finance, Accounts Payable, and Supply Chain to support vendor setup and contractor payment processes.
• Coordinate onboarding communications and orientation materials for contingent workers and consultants.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure adherence to company policies governing contingent labor and independent contractor engagements.
• Support audits related to contingent workforce records, worker classification, and onboarding documentation.
• Maintain compliance with applicable labor laws, data privacy requirements, and internal controls.
• Monitor upcoming contract expirations and ensure timely offboarding activities are completed.

Process Improvement & Reporting

• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures for contingent workforce administration.
• Create dashboards and reports on contingent workforce headcount, onboarding metrics, contract expirations, and offboarding completion.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, automation, and the overall worker experience.
• Support implementation and administration of contingent workforce management tools and processes.

International HR Operations

• Lead HR operational support for the company's international offices, including developing and maintaining international people policies, procedures, and employee lifecycle processes.
• Partner with internal stakeholders and external advisors to ensure compliance with local employment laws and regulations.
• Coordinate implementation and ongoing administration of global HR programs, systems, and processes.
• Coordinate with IT, Finance, Facilities, and local vendors to ensure a smooth employee experience from onboarding through offboarding.
• Partner with payroll providers, employers of record (EORs), and finance teams to support accurate and timely payroll processing.
• Assist with administration of local employee benefits programs and annual renewals.
• Maintain employee records and ensure data accuracy across HR systems.

Employee Lifecycle & Operational Support

• Provide cross-functional backup support for employee onboarding, offboarding, and other People Operations activities as business needs require.
• Assist with workforce administration activities, primarily supporting contingent workers and consultants, while providing occasional support for employee lifecycle processes, HRIS administration, and data maintenance to ensure continuity of service across the People team.
• Maintain accurate workforce records and support the development of People Operations documentation, resources, and process guides.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent experience.
• 3–6 years of experience in People Operations, HR Operations, contingent workforce management, vendor management, or workforce administration.
• Experience coordinating onboarding and offboarding programs.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to manage confidential information.
• Experience partnering cross-functionally with HR, Supply Chain,, Legal, Finance, and IT.
• Proficiency with HRIS systems, payroll systems,  and Microsoft Office or Google Workspace.
• Strong understanding of HR processes and compliance fundamentals.
• Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information with discretion.

Preferred

• Experience supporting contingent workforce programs in technology, aerospace, engineering, or high-growth environments.
• Experience supporting international HR operations.
• Knowledge of independent contractor classification requirements and contingent labor compliance.
• Experience with vendor management systems (VMS), workforce management platforms, or procurement systems.
• Experience supporting audits, compliance reviews, or workforce reporting.
• Experience supporting a company's first international office or global expansion efforts.
• Experience working with Employers of Record (EORs), Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs), or international payroll providers.
• Knowledge of employment practices in Europe, Japan, or other international jurisdictions.
• Experience with immigration, visa, or international assignment programs.

Success Measures

Within the first year, this role will:

• Establish a consistent onboarding and offboarding experience for all contingent workers and consultants.
• Achieve high completion rates for onboarding documentation and access management controls.
• Improve visibility into contingent workforce headcount, contract status, and engagement lifecycle metrics.
• Reduce onboarding turnaround times and strengthen compliance with worker classification and offboarding requirements.
• Establish scalable HR processes for the company's international offices.
• Ensure seamless onboarding and support for international employees.
• Maintain strong compliance practices across local employment requirements.
• Build trusted partnerships with employees, managers, and external vendors.

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time
• Willingness to work overtime, or weekends to support critical mission milestones
• Ability to lift up to 25lbs unassisted

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.