Polymer Chemist

At Vast our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. We are building artificial gravity space stations allowing long-term stays in space without the adverse effects of zero-gravity. Our initial crewed space habitat will be Haven-1 scheduled to be the worlds first commercial space station when it launches into low earth orbit in May 2026. Our team is all-in committed to executing our mission safely and on you want to work with the most talented people on Earth furthering space exploration for humanity come join us.

Vast is looking for a highly skilled Polymer Chemist reporting to the Senior Materials & Processes Engineer 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 on-site non-exempt position located in our Long Beach location.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct research on advanced polymer materials-including composites coatings and elastomers- with a focus on chemical stability thermal decomposition and outgassing/off-gassing behavior under aerospace-relevant conditions.
• Operate and maintain analytical instrumentation including SIFT-MS TGA FTIR and TGA-FTIR.
• Calibrate validate and optimize performance of analytical instruments; ensure high reliability and data integrity.
• Troubleshoot and resolve equipment issues; liaise with vendors technical support stakeholders as needed.
• Develop refine and validate methods for evolved gas analysis (EGA) and real-time volatile detection including off-gas testing protocols using SIFT-MS.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including materials thermal and systems engineers to integrate findings into broader design and testing efforts.
• Ensure compliance with internal quality standards industry best practices and regulatory requirements related to materials and chemical analysis.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree in Polymer Chemistry Analytical Chemistry or a related field
• 3 years of industrial or research experience in polymer characterization and analytical method development
• Hands-on experience operating and maintaining TGA FTIR GC-MS HPLC-MS and SIFT-MS or CIMS instrumentation
• Strong foundation in thermal analysis and gas-phase chemical detection

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Masters degree or PhD in Polymer Chemistry or Analytical Chemistry preferred
• Expertise in SIFT-MS TGA-FTIR or TGA-MS data acquisition method development and result interpretation
• Advanced knowledge of polymer degradation mechanisms and desorption processes
• Experience validating analytical protocols and conducting method development for off-gassing and thermal stability testing
• Strong data analysis skills including statistical modeling and use of Design of Experiments (DoE)
• Exceptional problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Proven ability to communicate complex technical findings clearly both verbally and in writing
• Experience in a fast-paced multidisciplinary environment ideally in aerospace defense or other highly regulated industries
• Experience with identifying and investigating chemical ionization mechanisms (e.g. proton/electron transfer adduct formation dissociative electron transfer hydride association) relevant to polymer off-gassing and degradation.

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time
• Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted
• Specific certifications as appropriate

Pay Range:

• Polymer Chemist I: $84280 - $108780
• Polymer Chemist II: $110000 - $142100

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY