Senior Polymer Chemist

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 Demo’s 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 world’s 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 Senior Polymer Chemist, reporting to the Non-Metallic Materials & Processes Lead, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations.

This role supports toxicity and contamination control for Haven-1, ensuring a safe and healthy environment for crew members in orbit.

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

Responsibilities:

• Conduct research on advanced polymer materials-including composites, coatings, and elastomers- with a focus on chemical stability, thermal decomposition, and outgassing/off-gassing behavior under aerospace-relevant conditions

• Operate and maintain analytical instrumentation, including SIFT-MS, TGA, FTIR, and TGA-FTIR

• Calibrate, validate, and optimize performance of analytical instruments; ensure high reliability and data integrity

• Troubleshoot and resolve equipment issues; liaise with vendors, technical support, stakeholders as needed

• Develop, refine, and validate methods for evolved gas analysis (EGA) and real-time volatile detection, including off-gas testing protocols using SIFT-MS

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including materials, thermal, and systems engineers, to integrate findings into broader design and testing efforts

• Ensure compliance with internal quality standards, industry best practices, and regulatory requirements related to materials and chemical analysis

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Polymer Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, or a related field

• 3+ years of industrial or research experience in polymer characterization and analytical method development

• Hands-on experience operating and maintaining TGA, FTIR, GC-MS, HPLC-MS, and SIFT-MS or CIMS instrumentation

• Strong foundation in thermal analysis and gas-phase chemical detection

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Masters degree or PhD in Polymer Chemistry or Analytical Chemistry preferred

• Expertise in SIFT-MS, TGA-FTIR, or TGA-MS data acquisition, method development, and result interpretation

• Advanced knowledge of polymer degradation mechanisms and desorption processes

• Experience validating analytical protocols and conducting method development for off-gassing and thermal stability testing

• Familiarity with NASA-STD-6001B for flammability, off-gassing, and material selection of non-metallic materials

• Familiarity with MAPTIS for material screening, evaluation, and compliance

• Strong data analysis skills, including statistical modeling and use of Design of Experiments (DoE)

• Exceptional problem-solving skills and attention to detail

• Proven ability to communicate complex technical findings clearly, both verbally and in writing

• Experience in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary environment, ideally in aerospace, defense, or other highly regulated industries

• Experience with identifying and investigating chemical ionization mechanisms (e.g., proton/electron transfer, adduct formation, dissociative electron transfer, hydride association) relevant to polymer off-gassing and degradation

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time

• Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones

• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted

• Specific certifications, as appropriate

Pay Range: California
$50—$71 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, generous paid time off; up to 20+ days of vacation for exempt staff and up to 10+ days of vacation for non-exempt staff with the ability to cash-out unused vacation annually, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, 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 & onsite barista, 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.