Senior Mission Operations Engineer - Ground Segment

<div class="content-intro"><p>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.</p></div><p>Vast is looking for a <strong>Senior Mission Operations Engineer </strong>to become a foundational member of the <strong>Ground Segment group within the Mission Operations team </strong>and support planning and execution of Vast missions.</p> <p>This will be a <strong>full-time</strong>, <strong>exempt</strong> position located in our <strong>Long Beach</strong> location.</p> <p><strong>Responsibilities: </strong></p> <ul> <li>Take extreme ownership of large impact initiatives working with engineers across disciplines to support the development of spacecraft operations &amp; ground operations procedures, flight rules, products &amp; processes, culminating in the safe &amp; successful operations of a newly launched spacecraft</li> <li>Provide technical and operational leadership as the operations expert in planning for and execution of pre-flight testing and checkouts of ground systems to ensure spacecraft and ground systems are ready for flight</li> <li>Assist with leading the operations of Vast’s crewed and uncrewed missions for vehicle commissioning, on-orbit operations, anomaly resolution and final deorbit of the spacecraft</li> <li>Perform deep-dive analysis of vehicle &amp; ground system telemetry and deliver informed summaries as well as recommendations to mission stakeholders for further review &amp; analysis</li> <li>Formulate and lead the execution of workflows facilitating improvements to processes &amp; systems with a focus on advancing Vast’s Mission Operations while maintaining Vast’s commitment to excellence</li> <li>Strategize plans for and lead efforts to iteratively improve the Mission Systems, Mission Operations Software and other ground processes and collaborate with the Mission Systems Engineering &amp; Ground Software Engineering teams to implement them</li> <li>Work closely with Mission Management to ensure customer requirements are translated to a Concept of Operations that balances all needs</li> <li>Mentor &amp; coach junior Mission Operations Engineers, offering guidance and recommendations to ongoing workflows</li> </ul> <p><strong>Minimum Qualifications:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, software engineering, or other engineering discipline</li> <li>5+ years of experience in the operation of complex systems</li> <li>Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with other engineering disciplines</li> <li>Demonstrated ability to to critically think in high stress environments and rapidly evolving situations</li> <li>Ability to disseminate critical engineering &amp; technical information effectively and clearly</li> <li>Strong verbal and written communication skills</li> <li>Strong demonstrated technical leadership ability</li> <li>Willing to support 24/7 operations during mission critical phases</li> </ul> <p><strong>Preferred Skills &amp; Experience:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Experience in human spaceflight mission operations</li> <li>Master’s degree in a technical field</li> <li>3+ years working in a spacecraft design, build, and test environment</li> <li>Technical knowledge in spacecraft systems engineering (avionics, propulsion, attitude control, communications, orbital mechanics, life support systems, thermal and power control systems)</li> <li>Technical knowledge in Space-to-Ground Communication Systems (RF, Ground Stations, Modems, Antenna Systems)</li> <li>Experience building from scratch a system, process and team to perform complex operations of an aerospace system (launch vehicle, satellite, crew capsule)</li> <li>Software Engineering Skills (C++, Golang, Javascript, React, Software Architecture, Databases, Cloud)</li> <li>Matlab or Python/Octave Proficiency</li> </ul> <p><strong>Proficient at using the command line and scripting languages</strong></p> <ul> <li>Strong Technical Writing skills</li> <li>Strong mentorship and leadership skills</li> </ul> <p><strong>Additional Requirements:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Ability to travel up to 20% of the time</li> <li>Willingness to work overtime, or weekends to support critical mission milestones</li> </ul><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="title">Pay Range: California</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$137,000</span><span class="divider">&mdash;</span><span>$230,000 USD</span></div></div></div><div class="content-conclusion"><div style="line-height: 1;"> </div> <div style="line-height: 1;"><strong>COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS</strong></div> <div style="line-height: 1;"> </div> <div style="line-height: 1;"> <div> <div data-qa="message_pane"> <div> <div id="message-list"> <div id="message-list"> <div data-qa="slack_kit_scrollbar"> <div> <div data-qa="slack_kit_list"> <div id="message-list_1770163429.476589" data-qa="virtual-list-item" data-item-key="1770163429.476589"> <div data-qa="message_container" data-qa-unprocessed="false" data-qa-placeholder="false" data-msg-ts="1770163429.476589" data-msg-channel-id="D1T52LDR4"> <div data-qa-hover="true"> <div> <div> <div> <div data-qa="message_content"> <div> <div data-qa="message-text"> <div data-qa="block-kit-renderer"> <div> <div> <div>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 &amp; 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.</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="message-list_bottomSpacer" data-qa="virtual-list-item" data-item-key="bottomSpacer"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div> <div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="line-height: 1;"> <p><strong>U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS</strong></p> 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 <a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-22/section-120.62">22 C.F.R. § 120.62</a> 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.</div> <div style="line-height: 1;"> </div> <p style="line-height: 1;"><strong>EQUAL OPPORTUNITY</strong></p> <div style="line-height: 1;">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.</div></div>