Senior Manufacturing Engineer, ECLSS

Vast is looking for a Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Environmental Control and Life Support Systems, reporting to the Senior Manager, ECLSS Manufacturing, to support the development, production, and integration of the systems required for artificial-gravity human-rated space stations.

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

Responsibilities: 

• Own the manufacturing development, production readiness, and build execution of environmental control and life support system hardware for our artificial-gravity space station
• Develop, mature, and optimize manufacturing processes for ECLSS components and assemblies, from prototype builds through production and flight hardware
• Partner closely with design engineering to ensure hardware is manufacturable, reliable, inspectable, and scalable from early design trades through final production
• Create and maintain manufacturing plans, work instructions, assembly procedures, inspection plans, and production documentation
• Drive hands-on fabrication, assembly, integration, and test activities in a fast-paced hardware development environment
• Identify and resolve production issues through root cause analysis, failure investigation, corrective actions, and continuous improvement
• Lead design-for-manufacturing and design-for-assembly reviews internally and with suppliers
• Own manufacturing schedules, build sequencing, and production execution for assigned ECLSS hardware from early development through launch vehicle integration
• Work with technicians, quality, supply chain, design engineering, test engineering, avionics, software, and mission operations teams to ensure successful system integration
• Support supplier development and manufacturing readiness for externally produced components and assemblies
• Evaluate and implement manufacturing techniques for metallic, fluid, thermal, and soft-goods hardware, including machining, welding, brazing, tube bending, cleaning, bonding, and assembly
• Bring technical rigor, ownership, and continuous improvement to all aspects of manufacturing engineering

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering or science discipline
• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, production engineering, or hardware development for fluid, thermal, environmental control, or life support systems
• 3+ years of hands-on hardware experience supporting fabrication, assembly, integration, and/or testing
• Experience developing manufacturing processes, work instructions, build plans, or production documentation for complex hardware

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in an engineering discipline.
• Experience supporting production or build execution for aerospace, spacecraft, propulsion, ECLSS, thermal, fluid, or other high-reliability hardware
• Strong experience with design for manufacturing and assembly, production readiness, process development, and manufacturing risk reduction
• Proactive problem-solving skills, including failure analysis, root cause investigation, corrective action implementation, and design of experiments
• Ability to perform trade studies using first principles and engineering fundamentals to make clear recommendations with partial information
• Experience with rotating machinery, pumps, valves, heat exchangers, pressure vessels, fans, separators, or other fluid system components
• Experience with soft goods, flexible ducting, seals, insulation, or other non-metallic flight hardware
• Experience with NX
• Solid understanding and application of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, tolerance stack-up analysis, and inspection planning
• Experience with structural analysis methods, including hand calculations, FEMAP, or ANSYS, to evaluate manufacturability, strength, life, and fracture considerations
• Knowledge of metallic and fluid system manufacturing techniques, processes, equipment, and special processes, including machining, welding, brazing, tube bending, cleaning, passivation, leak testing, proof testing, and pressure testing
• Experience working directly with technicians on the shop floor to troubleshoot builds, improve processes, and execute hardware efficiently
• Ability to work well in an integrated, collaborative team environment, including frequent interaction with technicians, engineers, quality, supply chain, 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 an ongoing drive for continuous improvement

Pay Range:

• Manufacturing Engineer II: $112,340 - $159,468
• Senior Manufacturing Engineer: $137,760 - $192,552
• Staff Manufacturing Engineer: $162,360 - $230,472