Staff Data Architect

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 Staff Data Architect, you will support the development of the data infrastructure and AI-driven capabilities required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations. This is a full-time, exempt position located in Long Beach.

Responsibilities

• Design, architect, and implement scalable enterprise data infrastructure including data lakes, warehouses, and real-time streaming platforms
• Build and maintain robust data pipelines that feed internal AI/ML tools and enable advanced analytics across all departments
• Own end-to-end data architecture from ingestion through transformation to consumption, ensuring data quality, reliability, and security
• Integrate data from complex engineering systems (PLM/Teamcenter), manufacturing systems (MES/MOM), ERP (NetSuite), IoT/sensor networks and other enterprise systems
• Create innovative data solutions that enable AI/ML capabilities for engineering analysis, manufacturing optimization, and supply chain intelligence
• Establish data governance frameworks, standards, and best practices across the organization
• Implement MLOps infrastructure to support model training, deployment, and monitoring
• Build real-time data pipelines from shop floor systems, test equipment, and operational technology (OT) environments
• Collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and business teams to understand data requirements and deliver BI/AI-ready datasets
• Lead and mentor a high-performing data engineering team, establishing technical standards and fostering a culture of extreme ownership
• Evaluate and implement cutting-edge data technologies including cloud-native services, vector databases, and modern data stack tools
• Optimize data pipelines for performance, cost-efficiency, and scalability
• Implement monitoring, alerting, observability, and disaster recovery capabilities for mission-critical data systems
• Provide technical leadership and strategic guidance on data architecture to executive leadership

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, Computer Engineering, or equivalent work experience
• 8+ years of hands-on experience in data engineering, data architecture, or related fields
• 3+ years of experience in a technical leadership role leading data engineering teams or initiatives
• Proven track record of building enterprise-scale data infrastructure and production data pipelines
• Expert-level proficiency in SQL and Python
• Deep hands-on experience with cloud data platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and associated data services
• Strong experience with modern data processing frameworks (Apache Spark, Kafka, Airflow, or equivalent)
• Demonstrated experience with data warehousing technologies (Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, Redshift, or similar)
• Experience supporting AI/ML initiatives with production-grade data pipelines and infrastructure
• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time to other Vast facilities or vendor sites
• Willingness to work extended hours or weekends to support critical mission milestones and production launches
• Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State (export control requirement)

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience in manufacturing, aerospace, defense, or hardware-intensive industries
• Background integrating data from PLM systems (Teamcenter, Windchill), ERP systems (NetSuite, SAP), and MES/manufacturing execution systems
• Hands-on experience with MLOps tools, feature stores, and machine learning data pipelines
• Knowledge of DevOps/DataOps practices including CI/CD, infrastructure as code (Terraform, CloudFormation), and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Experience with real-time streaming architectures and event-driven systems
• Familiarity with vector databases, knowledge graphs, and AI/LLM data architectures
• Understanding of dimensional modeling, data vault methodology, and modern data architecture patterns
• Contributions to open-source data engineering projects
• Experience with digital twin architectures or simulation data management
• Strong understanding of data security, compliance, and governance in regulated industries
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
• Proven ability to balance strategic vision with tactical execution in fast-paced startup environments
• Track record of extreme ownership—proactively identifying problems and driving solutions to completion

Pay

Staff Data Architect pay range: $155,800–$221,160 USD (California). 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 and benefits.

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
• Various discounts and perks
• Onsite food perks: free snacks, drip coffee, barista, cold drinks, and dinner meals; subsidized lunch