Mechanical Engineer II, Thermal Control Systems

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.

About the role

We are looking for a Thermal Control Systems Mechanical Engineer, reporting to the Manager, Thermal Control Hardware, to support the development of the systems required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations. This is a full-time, exempt position located in Long Beach, CA.

Responsibilities

• Own the design and development of thermal control system and components for our artificial-gravity space station, from initial design trades to fully functional and validated system
• Design thermal components including heat exchangers, cold plates, heaters, heat pipes, etc.
• Iterate on manufacturing processes and development testing in a fast-paced environment
• Own the project delivery timeline from early design through production, launch, and orbit insertion
• Perform systems engineering tasks and fluid analyses
• Lead design reviews internally and externally with suppliers and customers
• Work with interdisciplinary stakeholders to ensure the component will integrate with the necessary avionics, software, and mission operations systems
• Ensure that all designs are manufacturable and reliable
• Bring technical excellence to everything you do

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or other engineering discipline
• Experience working with fluid systems or components
• 5+ years of hands-on hardware experience performing fabrication, assembly and/or testing

Skills

• 4+ years of experience working with fluid systems or components
• Demonstrated ability to own hardware or systems within an integrated engineering team outside a classroom setting
• Proactive problem-solving skills such as failure analysis, root cause investigation, and design of experiment creation
• Ability to perform trade studies using first principles and engineering fundamentals to make clear recommendations even with partial information
• Experience with rotating machinery
• Experienced in NX
• Solid understanding and application of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) and tolerance stack-up analysis
• Experience with structural analysis methods (hand calcs, FEMAP, ANSYS) to optimize hardware to strength requirements and evaluate for life and fracture
• Knowledge of metallic and fluid system manufacturing techniques, processes, equipment, and other processes such as machining, welding, brazing, tube bending, etc.
• Able to work well in an integrated collaborative team environment, including frequent interactions with technicians, other engineers, and managers
• Highly self-motivated with strong organizational and written/oral communication skills – able to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment with the ongoing drive for continuous improvement in all aspects of work

Pay

California pay range: $112,340—$159,468 USD. Base salary will vary depending on job-related knowledge, education, skills, experience, business needs, and market demand.

Benefits

• Company equity
• 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 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
• Other discounts and perks
• Exceptional food perks: snacks, drip coffee & onsite barista, cold drinks, and dinner meals free of charge; subsidized lunch

U.S. export control compliance: The person hired will have access to information and items subject to U.S. export controls and must be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. 120.62 or otherwise eligible for deemed export licensing.