Vast Assembly Integration & Test Engineer at Vast leads integration and test campaigns for satellite spacecraft development. The role defines test philosophies and develops test plans from development units to production line.
Responsibilities
If you want to define how spacecraft get built at a company rather than execute someone else's definition of it, this is that job.
This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location.
Integration & Test
Lead and own integration and test campaigns at every level of spacecraft development — component, box, subsystem, and full vehicle
Define the test philosophy for the bus: what gets acceptance tested, what gets protoqualified, what qualifies by similarity, and how that philosophy holds up as we move from a one-off development unit to rate production
Develop acceptance, qualification, and R&D test plans for spacecraft systems, and drive them through execution and closure
Work with systems and subsystems leads to defining requirements and the verification and validation plans that close them
Develop, maintain, and operate environmental test systems — random vibration, TVAC, thermal cycling, EMI/EMC, mass properties
Design, build, and maintain mechanical and electrical ground support equipment (MGSE/EGSE) and the facilities that house it
Interface with ground test software, implement flight software configuration changes for test, and work hands-on with hardware-in-the-loop test systems
Own test data: what we record, how it's reviewed, what constitutes a pass, and how results get back to the responsible engineer
Assembly & Manufacturing
Qualification
Experience with environmental testingProficiency with at least one of CAble to obtain a security clearanceMaster's or PhD in electricalUnderstanding of sensors
Required
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline
8+ years of experience in test engineering, integration, or another hands-on hardware engineering role
Hands-on experience with spacecraft or complex flight hardware integration.
Experience with environmental testing, including thermal vacuum and random vibration
Experience developing and executing test plans and procedures from scratch, and writing the technical documentation that supports them (procedures, test reports, requirements, discrepancy reports)
Proficiency with at least one of C, C++, Python, or MATLAB for test automation, data reduction, or GSE control
Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot hardware failures under schedule pressure and drive them to root cause
Comfortable operating without an established process
Preferred
Able to obtain a security clearance
Master's or PhD in electrical, electronics, mechatronics, aerospace, or another engineering discipline
Strong working knowledge of satellite subsystems (C&DH, ADCS, EPS, COMM) and how they come together at the vehicle level
Experience with multi-unit or constellation builds, where the integration flow has to be repeatable across 10+ identical vehicles rather than optimized for one
Clean room operations and ESD-sensitive hardware handling experience
Hands-on with electrical test equipment (PSU, oscilloscope, DMM, spectrum analyzer)
Experience designing and implementing automated test systems for electronics
Understanding of sensors, signal conditioning, and data acquisition electronics
