Job Description

At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. We are building artificial gravity space stations, allowing long-term stays in space without the adverse effects of zero-gravity. Our initial crewed space habitat will be Haven-1, scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station when it launches into low earth orbit in May 2026. 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 Principal Flight Software Engineer , reporting to Senior Director, Flight Software, to help implement software for Haven-1. You will develop fault-tolerant code for safety-critical systems, and work closely with the avionics team to integrate flight code with avionics hardware. Most importantly, you will work as part of a team that believes that finding and fixing errors is a positive experience that will make everyone’s work better, and makes the team stronger as we continuously improve our processes and products.

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

Responsibilities:

• Work with the team to create highly reliable flight software for all Haven missions
• Work cross functionally with all other disciplines GNC, Thermal, Propulsion, Power, and ECLSS to support algorithm implementation and integration into the flight software
• Assess and critique code, ensuring adherence to best practices and established standards, in code reviews
• Work alongside GNC engineers to develop and integrate algorithms
• Develop simulation and modeling software for a high fidelity real time simulation system
• Develop tools to allow the use of Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) testing environments
• Develop driver-level code to interface with radios, sensors, and actuators onboard for all Haven missions
• Develop and maintain the Telemetry and Commanding Systems which will be used to communicate with our vehicles
• Develop unit and integrated tests, and establish continuous integration framework for flight

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering or other engineering discipline
• 15+ years coding with C++

Preferred Qualifications:

• M.Sc. in computer, math, physics, mechanical or aerospace engineering, or a relevant discipline 
• 10+ years of experience in Aerospace 
• Knowledge of control systems, orbital mechanics, and modeling and simulation techniques
• Experience developing flight code for space or satellite applications
• Fault-tolerant and safety-critical software design
• Experience developing software for complex systems such as spacecraft, aircraft or autonomous vehicles
• Experience with Real-time Systems
• Understanding of Linux kernel software and drivers
• Network programming experience
• Familiarity with the Atlassian Suite (JIRA, Bitbucket, Confluence)
• Familiarity with Git, Cmake, and GNU tools
• Able to work in a Linux environment

Additional Requirements:

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

Salary Range: California

$214,100—$283,800 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, flexible paid time off for exempt staff and up to 10 days of vacation for non-exempt staff, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, One Medical membership, 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, 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.

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