Head of Civil Programs

Vast is looking for a Head of Civil Programs, reporting to the Chief Policy Officer, to define and lead Vast’s strategy, engagement, and execution for NASA programs across Haven-1 and future Vast programs.

This will be a full-time, exempt position located on-site at our Long Beach, CA location. 

Responsibilities

Program Capture and Growth

• Lead capture efforts for NASA programs, from early opportunity shaping through proposal and award.
• Guide competitive positioning, teaming strategies, and proposal development in coordination with internal stakeholders.
• Develop and manage a multi-year NASA opportunity pipeline aligned with agency planning cycles and budgets.
  

Civil Space Strategy

• Develop and own Vast’s NASA civil space strategy aligned with agency priorities, mission needs, and program capabilities.
• Identify near-term and long-range NASA mission opportunities that leverage Haven-1 and future Vast programs.
• Provide strategic guidance to company leadership on program focus, timing, and positioning.
• Apply first principles thinking to Government needs to shape programs to rapidly deliver superior results for the Nation.
• Collaborate closely with Vast’s Government Affairs team and external advisors.

NASA Engagement and Mission Development

• Build and maintain senior-level relationships across NASA Headquarters, Mission Directorates, and Centers.
• Serve as one of Vast’s primary executive interfaces with NASA stakeholders.
• Work closely with internal teams to translate NASA objectives into viable mission concepts and program approaches.

Strategy-to-Execution Alignment

• Ensure NASA requirements and expectations are clearly understood across engineering, program, legal, and operations teams.
• Support technical and programmatic reviews, milestones, and customer engagements as programs mature.
• Help establish program foundations that enable successful execution beyond contract award.

External Representation

• Represent Vast at NASA-focused forums, customer meetings, and industry events.
• Present Vast station and future system capabilities and operational concepts to NASA stakeholders.
• Support the development of NASA-facing narratives and outreach materials as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, or a related technical field.
• 10+ years of experience working with NASA or NASA-funded civil space programs.
• Demonstrated success leading NASA program capture, proposal efforts, or mission development.
• Strong understanding of NASA program lifecycles and operational environments.
• Excellent communication skills across technical, programmatic, and executive audiences.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Master’s degree in engineering, systems engineering, or business.
• Experience with human spaceflight systems, in-space infrastructure, or operational space programs.
• Familiarity with NASA processes for advancing programs from concept through operations.
• Ability to lead complex efforts independently in a fast-moving environment.
• Passion for building the operational and technological foundations for sustained human presence in space.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to travel up to 30% of the time.