Supervisor, Avionics Manufacturing - Harnessing

<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>Supervisor of Avionics Manufacturing - Harnessing</strong>, reporting to <strong>Manager of Avionics Manufacturing, </strong>to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations.</p> <p>This will be a full-time, <strong>exempt</strong> position located in our <strong>Long Beach</strong> location. </p> <p><strong>Shift hours: </strong></p> <ul> <li>Second shift: 2:00PM - 10:30PM</li> </ul> <p><strong>Responsibilities: </strong></p> <ul> <li>Organize, coordinate, prioritize, and communicate day-to-day wire harness fabrication and assembly work assignments for the second shift technician team, ensuring seamless continuity from first shift operations.</li> <li>Lead, mentor, and model a strong work ethic, safety culture, and quality-first mindset on the production floor.</li> <li>Train and onboard new team members in harness assembly techniques, workmanship standards, and IPC/WHMA-A-620 requirements, ensuring all personnel meet certification expectations.</li> <li>Support technicians in daily tasks including crimping, soldering, connector assembly, bundling, lacing, and harness routing in accordance with IPC/WHMA-A-620 acceptance criteria.</li> <li>Assist with optimizing the wire harness manufacturing process, considering factors such as cycle time, yield, quality, and cost-effectiveness while maintaining compliance with IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 2 and Class 3 standards.</li> <li>Participate in design reviews, providing practical insight to improve the manufacturability, routability, and reliability of wire harness assemblies.</li> <li>Collaborate with quality assurance teams to establish, maintain, and enforce rigorous quality control processes aligned with IPC/WHMA-A-620 workmanship standards, including in-process inspections and final acceptance testing.</li> <li>Drive continuous improvement initiatives by identifying opportunities to reduce defects, minimize rework, eliminate waste, and improve overall harness assembly quality and throughput.</li> <li>Meet demanding second shift production schedules to achieve high output rates while maintaining IPC/WHMA-A-620 compliance and adapting to shifting priorities in a fast-paced environment.</li> <li>Maintain a clean, organized, and well-stocked production area, including tool control, consumable inventory (heat shrink, terminals, connectors, lacing tape, etc.), and support of build infrastructure.</li> <li>Read and interpret technical drawings, wire lists, harness schematics, and work instructions to support assembly and inspection activities.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Minimum Qualifications</strong></p> <ul> <li>5+ years of professional experience in a technical field, with a strong preference for candidates with a background in wire harness or aerospace cable assembly manufacturing.</li> <li>3+ years of experience in a leadership or supervisory role, with demonstrated ability to guide, motivate, and manage production teams.</li> <li>High School Diploma or equivalency certificate.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Preferred Skills &amp; Experience</strong></p> <ul> <li>In-depth understanding of wire harness fabrication processes including crimping, soldering, over-molding, potting, connector insertion/extraction, and continuity/hipot testing.</li> <li>Working knowledge of and experience operating within a formal quality management system such as AS9100, ISO 9001, or equivalent.</li> <li>IPC/WHMA-A-620 CIS or CIT certification, with the ability to train and evaluate technicians to IPC workmanship standards.</li> <li>Experience with IPC-A-600, IPC J-STD-001, or other relevant IPC standards as they relate to harness and cable assembly manufacturing.</li> <li>Familiarity with military and aerospace harness standards such as MIL-DTL-22759, MIL-SPEC wire, AS22759, and NASM hardware specifications.</li> <li>Experience creating and maintaining manufacturing documentation such as Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Work Instructions, and Inspection Criteria aligned with IPC/WHMA-A-620.</li> <li>Experience with CAD or harness design tools (such as Siemens Capital or similar) for reviewing harness drawings and wire lists.</li> <li>Strong problem-solving skills and ability to perform structured root cause analysis (RCA) and implement corrective actions for workmanship defects.</li> <li>Knowledge of lean manufacturing principles and process improvement methodologies (Six Sigma, 5S, Kaizen) as applied to harness production.</li> <li>Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills, with ability to interface effectively with engineering, quality, and program management teams.</li> <li>Strong attention to detail and an unwavering commitment to producing harness assemblies that meet or exceed IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 3 acceptance criteria.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Additional Requirements</strong></p> <ul> <li>Availability to work second shift on a consistent schedule, with willingness to work overtime or weekends to support critical production milestones.</li> <li>Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted.</li> </ul><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="title">Pay Range: California</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$96,760</span><span class="divider">&mdash;</span><span>$137,352 USD</span></div></div></div><div class="content-conclusion"><p style="line-height: 1;"><strong>COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS<br></strong><br>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.</p> <p style="line-height: 1;"><strong><br>U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS<br><br></strong>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.<br><br></p> <p style="line-height: 1;"><strong>EQUAL OPPORTUNITY</strong><br><br>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.</p></div>