Principal Manufacturing Engineer

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 Demos 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 worlds 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(n) Principal Manufacturing Engineer reporting to the Vice President Manufacturing to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of human-rated space stations.

This will be a full-timeexempt position located in ourLong Beach location.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the design and continuous Improvement of manufacturing processes and production systems across the factory with focus on flow execution scalability and business impact.
• Identify prioritize and eliminate bottlenecks across manufacturing integration test inspection material movement and production control.
• Drive the transition from prototype builds to repeatable low-volume production while maintaining speed and flexibility.
• Develop scalable operating processes ownership models and execution rhythms that improve factory performance.
• Own the strategy and integration for ERP MRP MES PLS mBOM routing work instruction and production control systems.
• Serve as the technical and business process owner for key production workflows including MRR/PRR manufacturing inputs to CDR material flow kitting staging inventory accuracy and production readiness controls.
• Leverage production data schedule performance NC trends and factory observations to identify issues and drive corrective actions.
• Serve as business process owner for standardization across
• Partner with design quality supply chain planning production test and integration teams to solve cross-functional execution problems.
• Challenge existing manufacturing and operational assumptions using data first-principles thinking and direct factory engagement.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering Manufacturing Engineering Aerospace Engineering Industrial Engineering or a related STEM discipline.
• 10 years of manufacturing engineering experience supporting complex hardware development production execution or factory operations.
• Experience improving manufacturing processes production systems material flow or factory execution across multiple products programs or work centers.
• Demonstrated advanced experience supporting the transition from prototype development to repeatable production or low-rate manufacturing.
• Experience owning or improving production business processes such as MRR/PRR manufacturing inputs to CDR production readiness mBOMs routings work instructions or production control.
• Experience working with ERP MRP MES PLS or similar manufacturing execution and production control systems.
• Experience identifying bottlenecks analyzing factory performance and driving improvements in throughput schedule reliability quality or cost.
• Experience resolving complex manufacturing quality material or production execution issues using structured problem-solving methods.
• Experience collaborating across manufacturing production design engineering quality supply chain planning test integration and program management teams.
• Strong understanding of aerospace or complex hardware manufacturing operations including assembly integration test inspection fabrication machining welding automation or related production processes.

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Experience building or transforming manufacturing organizations during a major scale-up factory ramp or operating model change.
• Strong understanding of how engineering release configuration management change control and production execution processes interact in complex hardware environments.
• Experience defining system requirements or business requirements for manufacturing tools digital workflows production dashboards or factory data infrastructure.
• Demonstrated ability to turn ambiguous factory problems into clear operating models decision frameworks and scalable execution processes.
• Experience influencing senior technical operational and program leaders across organizational boundaries without direct authority.
• Experience developing executive-level recommendations business cases trade studies or implementation plans for major factory improvement initiatives.
• Strong ability to balance process discipline with speed flexibility and engineering iteration in a fast-moving development environment.
• Experience working in human-rated safety-critical mission-critical or highly regulated hardware programs.
• Expertise with Lean Six Sigma Theory of Constraints or similar operational excellence methods applied in practical factory environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to simplify complex technical and operational topics for broad audiences.

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds unassisted.
• Ability to work on the manufacturing floor for extended periods supporting production activities.
• Willingness to work evenings weekends and travel as necessary to support critical program milestones.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain any required export control authorizations.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY