Industrial Engineer

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 world’s 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 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 Industrial Engineer, reporting to the Director, Operational Excellence, 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, exempt position in our Long Beach location. 

As an Industrial Engineer, you will drive performance by defining key metrics, streamlining processes, and equipping leadership with insights that improve efficiency and accountability.

Responsibilities:

• Define key performance metrics for each work center and design data systems to track and measure them effectively
• Identify process bottlenecks and lead continuous improvement initiatives, partnering with local leaders and engineers to implement solutions
• Perform time and motion studies to set process baselines and identify improvement opportunities
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date floor plans, acting as the primary authority on floor space allocation and work center layouts
• Provide actionable data to hold teams and leaders accountable for on-time delivery and overall performance
• Serve as a project management resource for manufacturing initiatives, including process qualifications, AS9100 certification, and general work center readiness
• Facilitate periodic (e.g., bi-weekly) production efficiency, schedule/rate review meetings with supply chain, quality, and manufacturing leaders to assess performance and drive corrective action
• Support ad-hoc projects and operational challenges, acting as a flexible problem-solving resource for the manufacturing team

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field
• 3+ years of experience in a manufacturing or operations-focused industrial engineering role
• Strong analytical skills with experience in data collection, analysis, and reporting
• Proven ability to lead process improvement projects, including bottleneck analysis and workflow optimization
• Excellent project management skills and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to work effectively with cross-functional teams
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing principles and Six Sigma methodologies and experience leading implementation
• Experience with business analytics tools and integrating data from multiple sources to support decision-making (Tableau, PowerBI, SQL, etc)

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Lean or Six Sigma certification
• Familiarity with AS9100 or other quality management systems
• Experience maintaining and optimizing manufacturing floor plans and layouts
• Experience facilitating cross-functional meetings to drive operational performance and accountability
• Prior experience supporting certifications, process qualifications, or other manufacturing readiness initiatives
• Advanced skills in business analytics, data visualization, and integration of manufacturing and supply chain data systems
• Experience utilization time and motion analysis techniques like MOST

Salary Range: California$138,000—$194,000 USDCOMPENSATION AND BENEFITS   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: 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, flexible paid time off for exempt staff and up to 10 days of vacation for non-exempt staff, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, One Medical membership, 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, 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.

U.S. Export Control Compliance Status

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 22 C.F.R. § 120.62 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.  

Equal Opportunity

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.