Staff Electric Propulsion Systems Engineer

Vast is looking for a Electric Propulsion Systems Engineer, reporting to the Senior Director of Propulsion,, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of human-rated space stations.

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

Responsibilities: 

Electric Propulsion System Development

• Serve as Responsible Engineer for Vast's electric propulsion test facilities, owning technical decisions across the buildup and operation
• Define and maintain system requirements, procedures, and test plans for thruster testing
• Establish analysis and test methodology upfront, with clear objectives and success criteria, to support rigorous hardware development and qualification
• Plan and execute development and qualification test campaigns, including hotfire testing, in partnership with internal teams and external facilities
• Maintain awareness of and plan for potential future electric propulsion modalities relevant to Vast missions, including Arcjets, Resistojets, and Magnetoplasmadynamic Thrusters (applied-field and self-field)
• Contribute to forward-looking development of electric propulsion systems using molecular propellants including ASCENT, hydrazine, methane, or other molecular propellants, to enable multimode propulsion architectures that share a common propellant with onboard chemical propulsion systems
• Set and maintain standards for design practice, analysis methodology, documentation, and test approach within the electric propulsion team
• Actively coach engineers on RE responsibilities including understanding requirements, validating assumptions, owning outputs, and thinking critically rather than following processes blindly
• Foster an environment where raising issues early and asking for help are treated as signs of rigor, not weakness
• Partner closely with the broader Propulsion group, GNC, Power, Structures, Design Reliability, and ECLSS teams to ensure electric propulsion systems are well-integrated at the vehicle level
• Support design reviews, present technical findings, and contribute to acceptance and qualification documentation
• Lead or support root cause investigations and corrective actions as issues arise during development, qualification, production, and flight

Minimum Qualifications:

• B.S. degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering, Physics, Engineering Physics, or related field
• Familiarity with roughing pumps, turbo pumps, and cryogenic pumping systems
• Experience with high-voltage harnessing in a vacuum environment
• Demonstrated expertise in electric propulsion system testing
• Experience with electric propulsion diagnostics, including thrust stands, Faraday probes, and retarding potential analyzers
• Deep technical knowledge of Hall Effect Thruster design, operation, and qualification
• Experience with electric propulsion system-level engineering, including thruster-PPU-propellant feed system integration
• Proven ability to work independently, lead technical efforts, and make sound engineering decisions across broad scope with minimal oversight

Preferred Skills & Experience: 

• Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Engineering Physics, or related field. Given the technical depth and independent judgment required at this level, doctoral preparation is strongly preferred
• Hands-on experience with electric propulsion qualification/flight test campaigns, including plasma diagnostics, hotfire testing, and performance characterization
• Demonstrated experience understanding and analyzing Hall thruster plasmas, including discharge characteristics and plume probe data
• Experience with propellant feed system design and integration for electric propulsion applications
• Knowledge of spacecraft power systems and their interface with electric propulsion systems
• Experience supporting human spaceflight programs or flight qualification in a rigorous certification environment
• Familiarity with additional electric propulsion modalities such as Arcjets, Resistojets, or Magnetoplasmadynamic Thrusters
• Familiarity with molecular propellant applications in electric propulsion, multimode propulsion architectures, or propellant recovery and reuse in life support integrated systems

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 25lbs unassisted

Pay Range: 

• Propulsion Engineer II: $112,340 - $159,468
• Senior Propulsion Engineer: $137,760 - $195,552
• Staff Propulsion Engineer: $162,360 - $230,472