Supervisor, Orbital Tube Welding

About the role

Vast is seeking a Supervisor, Orbital Tube Welding, reporting to the Manager, Fluid Systems Manufacturing, to support the development and production 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.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and support a team of technicians responsible for fluid systems manufacturing; provide daily direction, technical guidance, and performance feedback
• Execute and sustain manufacturing processes including orbital tube welding, tube bending, and related fabrication operations
• Ensure manufacturing documentation is accurate and current, including work instructions, routings, inspection steps, and ERP/MRP updates
• Partner with Quality and Design Engineering to investigate non-conformances, perform root-cause analysis, and implement corrective actions
• Collaborate with Design Engineering to provide manufacturability feedback and support transitions from development builds into repeatable production
• Monitor production performance, identify process inefficiencies, and implement continuous improvement initiatives to enhance safety, quality, delivery, and cost
• Support structural assembly build and inspection activities to ensure compliance with all safety and quality requirements
• Assist in production floor layout planning, capacity analysis, and workflow optimization to meet program schedules
• Provide hands-on support on the production floor to troubleshoot manufacturing issues and remove blockers in real time

Requirements

• 3+ years of experience in a manufacturing environment, preferably supporting metallic structures or assemblies
• Willingness to work evenings or weekends to support critical program milestones
• Ability to spend significant time on the production floor supporting builds, troubleshooting processes, and coaching team members
• 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.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or comparable STEM field
• 5+ years in aerospace manufacturing environments

Skills

• Experience developing, implementing, or sustaining manufacturing processes, tooling, or production systems
• Experience working in fast-paced development environments with evolving designs and requirements
• Demonstrated experience resolving manufacturing non-conformances and participating in root-cause and corrective action processes
• Experience leading small teams, projects, or work streams in a manufacturing setting
• Prior experience supervising or mentoring engineers or technicians in a production environment
• Strong understanding of welding and metallic fabrication processes
• Experience supporting development-to-production transitions for new products or programs
• Familiarity with aerospace tooling or structural fabrication from concept through production
• Proficiency with CAD systems (NX, Teamcenter)
• Strong understanding of GD&T and ability to interpret complex engineering drawings
• Experience working with ERP, MRP, or MES systems
• Hands-on experience with aerospace welding processes (TIG, Plasma, repair techniques)
• Familiarity with aerospace standards, production documentation, NDE techniques, and quality systems

Pay

California $94,000—$133,860 USD. 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.

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