Industrial Engineer I at Vast

<div class="content-intro"><p>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.</p></div><h2><strong>Industrial Engineer I</strong></h2> <p>The Industrial Engineer I supports the Operational Excellence team in improving manufacturing operations, production workflows, and business systems that enable efficient company operations. Reporting to the Director of Operational Excellence, this role works cross-functionally with engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, finance, and program teams to help optimize processes, improve operational performance, and support system-driven efficiency initiatives.</p> <h3><strong>Key Responsibilities</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Support the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of operational processes across:</li> <ul> <li>Manufacturing &amp; production operations</li> <li>Supply chain &amp; procurement</li> <li>Quality systems &amp; corrective actions</li> <li>Engineering change processes and production readiness</li> <li>Program and operational planning</li> </ul> <li>Assist with process mapping, workflow analysis, standard work documentation, and standard operating procedures (SOPs)</li> <li>Analyze production, operational, and business process data to identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and improvement opportunities</li> <li>Support Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives focused on reducing waste, improving cycle time, increasing throughput, and enhancing quality</li> <li>Help maintain and improve operational systems such as ERP, MES, PLM, WMS, and related manufacturing/business tools</li> <li>Assist with data tracking, reporting, and KPI development for operational performance metrics</li> <li>Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve material flow, inventory accuracy, resource utilization, and production efficiency</li> <li>Support workflow automation, process standardization, and system integration efforts</li> <li>Participate in root cause analysis and corrective action activities related to operational and production issues</li> <li>Support implementation, testing, and user adoption of new operational processes and systems</li> <li>Ensure operational processes comply with company quality standards, safety requirements, and production objectives</li> </ul> <h3><strong>Required Qualifications</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Systems Engineering, Operations Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field</li> <li>0–2 years of experience in industrial engineering, manufacturing, operations, process improvement, or related internship/co-op experience</li> <li>Basic understanding of Lean Manufacturing, process improvement, and operational efficiency principles</li> <li>Familiarity with manufacturing or business systems such as ERP, MES, PLM, or WMS through coursework, internships, or professional experience</li> <li>Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills</li> <li>Ability to work collaboratively across engineering, manufacturing, and operations teams</li> <li>Strong communication and documentation skills</li> </ul> <h3><strong>Preferred Qualifications</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Internship or project experience in aerospace, defense, manufacturing, automotive, or other complex production environments</li> <li>Exposure to Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, or continuous improvement methodologies</li> <li>Experience with process mapping, workflow analysis, or industrial engineering tools</li> <li>Basic understanding of production planning, capacity analysis, or manufacturing operations</li> <li>Familiarity with data analysis and reporting tools such as Excel, Power BI, Tableau, or SQL</li> <li>Interest in operations optimization, systems thinking, and manufacturing efficiency initiatives</li> </ul> <p>Industrial Engineer I: $84,460 to $119,892</p><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="title">Pay Range: California</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$84,460</span><span class="divider">&mdash;</span><span>$119,892 USD</span></div></div></div><div class="content-conclusion"><div style="line-height: 1;"><strong>COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS</strong></div> <div style="line-height: 1;">&nbsp;</div> <div style="line-height: 1;"> <div> <div data-qa="message_pane"> <div> <div id="message-list"> <div id="message-list"> <div data-qa="slack_kit_scrollbar"> <div> <div data-qa="slack_kit_list"> <div id="message-list_1770163429.476589" data-qa="virtual-list-item" data-item-key="1770163429.476589"> <div data-qa="message_container" data-qa-unprocessed="false" data-qa-placeholder="false" data-msg-ts="1770163429.476589" data-msg-channel-id="D1T52LDR4"> <div data-qa-hover="true"> <div> <div> <div> <div data-qa="message_content"> <div> <div data-qa="message-text"> <div data-qa="block-kit-renderer"> <div> <div> <div>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 &amp; 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.</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="message-list_bottomSpacer" data-qa="virtual-list-item" data-item-key="bottomSpacer"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div> <div>&nbsp;</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="line-height: 1;"> <p><strong>U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS</strong></p> 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 <a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-22/section-120.62">22 C.F.R. § 120.62</a> 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.</div> <div style="line-height: 1;">&nbsp;</div> <p style="line-height: 1;"><strong>EQUAL OPPORTUNITY</strong></p> <div style="line-height: 1;">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.</div></div>