Vast Electric Propulsion Specialist at Vast working hands-on in the lab to build and test electric propulsion hardware for human-rated space stations. Assemble, wire, and test thrusters and power systems.
Responsibilities
Fabricate, assemble, integrate, and test electric propulsion hardware, including thrusters, propellant feed components, power electronics, and test support equipment
Build, inspect, and repair electrical harnesses and cable assemblies, including soldering, crimping, potting, splicing, lacing, and connector termination
Safely work on high-voltage systems and equipment, following lockout/tagout, grounding, and other electrical safety practices
Run, maintain, and troubleshoot vacuum chambers and pumping systems
Set up and run thruster and component tests, including mounting hardware, routing instrumentation, checking out data acquisition systems, and monitoring tests
Machine fixtures, brackets, adapters, and test hardware on manual and/or CNC mills and lathes from drawings or engineering sketches
Diagnose electrical and mechanical problems using multimeters, hipot and insulation-resistance testers, oscilloscopes, and leak detectors
Follow and help write work instructions, test procedures, and build travelers, and record as-built configurations and any non-conformances accurately
Keep the lab, tooling, and test areas clean, organized, and safe, including inventory of consumables and spares
Work with engineering, quality, and other technicians to feed manufacturing and test lessons back into design
Qualification
Experience with helium leak detectionWelding experience (TIG preferred)Current IPC/WHMA-A-620Experience with precision cleaningExperience with propellant feed systems
Required
5+ years of hands-on experience as an electrical, electromechanical, or test technician in aerospace, defense, research, or a similar high-reliability industry (or equivalent military experience)
Demonstrated experience building wire harnesses and cable assemblies, including soldering, crimping, and connector termination
Experience working safely on high-voltage systems or equipment
Machining experience on manual and/or CNC mills and lathes
Preferred
Experience operating and maintaining high-vacuum systems, including roughing pumps, turbomolecular pumps, diffusion pumps, and/or cryopumps
Experience with helium leak detection, vacuum gauges, and vacuum fittings (KF, CF, ISO)
Experience with electric propulsion systems (Hall-effect, gridded ion, or similar) or plasma/high-voltage lab equipment
Welding experience (TIG preferred), especially on stainless steel or thin-walled tubing
Current IPC/WHMA-A-620, J-STD-001 (including Space Addendum), and/or NASA-STD-8739 certification
Experience with precision cleaning, cleanroom work, or contamination control for flight hardware
Experience with propellant feed systems, including tube bending, fittings, and pressure/leak testing
Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and mechanical drawings, including GD&T
