Senior CMF Designer

About the role

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. As the Senior Color, Material, and Finish Designer, you will lead and own the development of optimized materials, colors, and details required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations. You will work closely with industrial designers, material engineers, soft good technicians, and supply chain to define the astronaut experience—such as eating, sleeping, and exercise—through cutting-edge materials. This is a full-time, exempt position located in Long Beach.

Responsibilities

• Own and evolve the Color, Material, and Finish (CMF) design strategy for the space station experience, ensuring materials, colors, and details add value to the astronaut experience while meeting engineering requirements, certification standards, and human-rated safety criteria (e.g., flammability, off-gassing/toxicity, cleanability).
• Apply deep expertise in design specifications and manufacturing requirements to ideate, visualize, and develop color, material, and graphic design concepts for transportation/aerospace-grade products, with minimal oversight.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration and negotiation with manufacturing, suppliers, and engineering throughout all phases of development, driving final CMF designs to production in support of Haven-1, Haven-2, and future program milestones.
• Build and maintain a CMF materials library and design standards/guidelines that scale across current and future Vast programs.
• Source, vet, and manage a network of vendors and fabricators, independently evaluating tradeoffs in cost, performance, and innovation.
• Partner with outside test agencies to validate new and innovative materials against aerospace and human-rated requirements, owning the qualification process.
• Present CMF strategy, rationale, and design direction to design and engineering leadership and cross-functional stakeholders, including at key program milestones.
• Identify and proactively de-risk material and finish decisions that could impact program schedule, cost, or certification.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design, Transportation Design, Material Science, or equivalent experience.
• 6+ years of related professional CMF design experience, including demonstrated ownership of CMF programs from concept through production.
• Proven track record of leading CMF design strategy independently on complex, highly engineered products.
• Ability to travel up to 20% of the time.
• Willingness to work overtime or weekends to support critical mission milestones.
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Prior CMF experience in aerospace, automotive, transportation, or other highly regulated/certified product environments; direct exposure to human-rated or spaceflight hardware standards a strong plus.
• Demonstrated ability to build physical prototypes to express unique design concepts and lead others in doing the same.
• Strong conceptual design skills—sketching, modeling, mock-ups, and visual storytelling—applied at a strategic as well as hands-on level.
• Track record of driving ideation and concept generation under tight timelines and shifting priorities.
• Advanced proficiency across relevant design software (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite, CAD/3D visualization tools) and general technical fluency across enterprise software.
• Experience creating and managing RFPs, POs, and facilities work orders within an ERP system, including basic budget ownership.
• Demonstrated experience mentoring or leading other designers, formally or informally.
• Excellent judgment and ability to make sound decisions independently with limited or ambiguous information.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to present and defend design decisions to senior leadership, vendors, and cross-functional partners.
• Logical, strategic approach to problem-solving, balanced with hands-on craft sensibility.
• Ability to read and understand architectural/facilities floor plans.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple concurrent projects and adjusting quickly to abrupt shifts in strategic direction.

Pay

California pay range: $135,000—$192,000 USD. Base salary will vary depending on job-related knowledge, education, skills, experience, business needs, and market demand. Salary is one component of a comprehensive compensation package that includes company equity.

Benefits

• 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: free snacks, drip coffee, onsite barista, cold drinks, and dinner meals; subsidized lunch.