Senior Power Systems Engineer, Lunar at Vast

Job description

Vast is developing next-generation space stations and space infrastructure using an incremental, hardware-rich, and low-cost approach. Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station 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. 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 in 2027, followed by additional Haven modules. Additionally, the company recently announced Vast Satellite , a high-power satellite product line leveraging its space station components and the heritage of Haven Demo. Headquartered in Long Beach, California , and with more than 1,000 employees and over a billion dollars in private capital, Vast has built the facilities required to manufacture and operate America’s next space station. The company plans to develop future habitats and systems for the Moon and Mars, dedicated space stations for government partners, and other crewed systems that will unlock the expanding long-term space economy. Vast is looking for a Senior Power Systems Engineer, Lunar , reporting to the Senior Vice President, Lunar Programs, to support the development of the systems that will be required for Vast’s Lunar ecosystem. Our team is applying the technology, infrastructure, and knowledge built across our Haven Demo, Haven-1, Haven Station, and Vast Satellite programs to a new frontier: the Moon. Our Lunar program isn't starting from scratch, giving this founding team an extraordinary running start to help shape humanity's next era of lunar exploration from day one. This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location. Responsibilities: End-to-end ownership of power system architecture, electronics specification, simulation, schematic capture, PCB design, mechanical packaging design, board-level bring-up and validation, environmental qualification, and integrated system-level validation Define and own power architecture tradeoffs for lunar applications - including energy storage integration, solar array interfaces, eclipse and survival-mode power budgets, and fault-tolerant distribution topologies Design circuits to implement functions such as power conversion, load switching, hot-swapping, power conditioning, inrush control, over-current fault detection, and more, with margin appropriate to long-duration lunar surface and cislunar operation Lead radiation, thermal, and dust-mitigation design considerations for power hardware operating beyond LEO, coordinating part selection, derating, and screening Perform failure modes and effects analyses and drive reliability design and validation plans at the system level, including single-point-failure retirement for human-rated applications Own qualification campaigns end-to-end, partnering with the test lab across random vibration, shock, thermal cycling, burn-in, TVAC, and radiation testing Drive design reviews and present architecture, analysis, and test results to engineering leadership and cross-functional stakeholders at key program milestones Mentor junior engineers, review their designs, and help build the power electronics design standards, component libraries, and processes that scale across Vast programs Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering 6+ years of experience developing power electronics Demonstrated ownership of at least one power electronics product from architecture through hardware bring-up and validation Preferred Skills & Experience: Master's degree in Electrical Engineering with a power electronics emphasis Experience designing electronics for the spaceflight environment, verifying workmanship and operability through environmental test (random vibration, shock, thermal, burn-in, and TVAC) Experience with hardware intended for beyond-LEO, lunar, planetary, or other high-radiation and extreme-thermal environments, including radiation-tolerant part selection, derating, and screening Experience with human-rated or other high-consequence systems where fault tolerance and single-point-failure retirement drive the architecture Professional experience with instrumentation and data acquisition Experience with software programming: MATLAB, Python, C/C++, etc Experience with vehicle and instrumentation buses such as Ethernet, CAN, SPI, and I2C, as well as serial I/O (RS422) Experience with full-lifecycle product development, including transition to production and manufacturing support Additional Requirements: Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones Ability to travel up to 5% of the time to support customer meetings Pay Range: California $137,000 — $230,000 USD We calibrate level and compensation to the selected candidate's experience and demonstrated capability. We welcome applicants across a range of experience levels to apply. 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. 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.

Requirements

Must-haves

This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location.
Define and own power architecture tradeoffs for lunar applications - including energy storage integration, solar array interfaces, eclipse and survival-mode power budgets, and fault-tolerant distribution topologies
Lead radiation, thermal, and dust-mitigation design considerations for power hardware operating beyond LEO, coordinating part selection, derating, and screening
Perform failure modes and effects analyses and drive reliability design and validation plans at the system level, including single-point-failure retirement for human-rated applications
Own qualification campaigns end-to-end, partnering with the test lab across random vibration, shock, thermal cycling, burn-in, TVAC, and radiation testing
Drive design reviews and present architecture, analysis, and test results to engineering leadership and cross-functional stakeholders at key program milestones
Mentor junior engineers, review their designs, and help build the power electronics design standards, component libraries, and processes that scale across Vast programs
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering
6+ years of experience developing power electronics
Demonstrated ownership of at least one power electronics product from architecture through hardware bring-up and validation
Master's degree in Electrical Engineering with a power electronics emphasis
Experience designing electronics for the spaceflight environment, verifying workmanship and operability through environmental test (random vibration, shock, thermal, burn-in, and TVAC)
Experience with hardware intended for beyond-LEO, lunar, planetary, or other high-radiation and extreme-thermal environments, including radiation-tolerant part selection, derating, and screening
Experience with human-rated or other high-consequence systems where fault tolerance and single-point-failure retirement drive the architecture
Professional experience with instrumentation and data acquisition
Experience with software programming: MATLAB, Python, C/C++, etc
Experience with vehicle and instrumentation buses such as Ethernet, CAN, SPI, and I2C, as well as serial I/O (RS422)
Experience with full-lifecycle product development, including transition to production and manufacturing support
Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones
Ability to travel up to 5% of the time to support customer meetings
We calibrate level and compensation to the selected candidate's experience and demonstrated capability. We welcome applicants across a range of experience levels to apply.

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Benefits

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Dental

Vision

401(K)

Paid Time Off

Parental Leave