Harness Design Engineer II

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 2026. It is part of our stepping stone approach to continuous human presence in LEO. 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 Harness Design Engineer II, reporting to the VP, Avionics, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and manufacturing of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations. This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location.

Responsibilities:

• Develop the electro-mechanical design of flight wire harnesses for the Haven space station.

• Develop the electro-mechanical design of development and test harnesses to support qualification testing efforts.

• Meet with multidisciplinary stakeholders to gather harness design objectives and requirements.

• Develop harness design and routing solutions with a 3D NX CAD environment.

• Provide great flight wire harness and vehicle/system level documentation

• Perform analysis and physical testing of harnessing with respect to thermal, loads, vibration, and shock to ensure full qualification for flight.

• Document and communicate the design, analysis, and testing results thoroughly and clearly through the use of design reviews.

• Interface with harness production and integration teams to ensure final harness designs can be produced and installed on schedule in accordance with overall project goals.

• Perform R&D investigations and trade studies to push wire harness design to new boundaries in terms of capabilities, mass savings, cost savings.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or other engineering discipline

• 2+ years of experience in design focused roles

• 1+ years of experience with wire harness 3D design, wiring diagrams, and formboard creation.

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Experience designing harnesses to IPC/WHMA-A-620, IPC/WHMA-A-620-S, and NASA-STD-8739.4.

• Strong team working skills with a proven ability to effectively interact and collaborate with other engineering disciplines and excellent attention to detail.

• 1+ years of experience with Siemens NX and Teamcenter.

• Wire harness component selection and qualification experience.

• General wire harness analysis, testing, and qualification experience.

• 1+ years of experience with harness design and manufacturing documentation.

• Capability to solve complex design problems within tight schedules and minimal supervision.

• Passion for advancing the commercial space industry and space exploration, with a strong desire to revolutionize wire harness design.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced, autonomously driven, and demanding startup atmosphere.

• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.

• Strong sense of personal accountability and drive to succeed.

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time

• Willingness to work overtime, or weekends to support critical mission milestones

• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted

Salary Range: California
$110,000—$145,000 USD

COMPENSATION 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.