Senior Mechanical Engineer, Thermal Control Systems

vast

Long Beach, California, United States · Long Beach · United States

Posted Mar 25, 2026

Full-time
On-site
Station Engineering

Job description

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. Using an incremental, hardware-rich and low-cost approach, Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station. 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, followed by additional Haven modules to enable permanent human presence by 2030. Our team is all-in, committed to executing our mission safely and on time. If you want to work with the most talented people on Earth furthering space exploration for humanity, come join us.

Vast is looking for a Thermal Control Systems Senior Mechanical Engineer, reporting to the Manager, Thermal Control Hardware to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations.

This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach, CA location.

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
Possible thermal components include 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
Make sure that all designs are manufacturable and reliable
Bring technical excellence to everything you do

Minimum Qualifications:

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

Preferred Skills & Experience:

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
4+ years of hands-on hardware experience performing fabrication, assembly and/or testing
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) in order to optimize hardware to strength requirements as well as to 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 Range: California

$137,760—$195,552 USD

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.

U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS

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.

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.