Systems Engineer, Spacecraft Design & Simulation
Vast · Long Beach, California, United States
Posted about 3 months ago · $112,340 - $159,468
or apply directly on Vast's site. We never take the application ourselves.
Is this posting real?
- This role has been open
- 81 days Vast's roles stay open a median of 81 days
- Reposted
- No
- Salary listed
- Yes 35% of Vast's roles list one
- Ghost-job risk at Vast
- high 199 stale, 5 reposted of 202 open
- Hiring momentum
- 259 roles opened in the last 90 days ↑ up vs. the prior 90 days
- Last confirmed on the employer's board
- 2026-10-23
Measured from postings appearing on and disappearing from Vast's own greenhouse board since 2026-08-03. Full hiring picture for Vast.
About this role
The Systems Engineer, Spacecraft Design & Simulation at Vast will be responsible for owning and evolving the spacecraft simulation toolchain, which is crucial for the company's mission factory. This role involves defining governing equations, conducting design trades, maintaining a rigorous validation suite, and ensuring that the toolchain supports rapid iterations as customer requirements evolve. The engineer will collaborate across disciplines to ensure accurate modeling and validation of spacecraft systems.
- benefits
- 5/5
- freshness
- 1/5
- career value
- 4/5
- role clarity
- 5/5
- pay transparency
- 5/5
Scored from the posting itself — how clearly the role is described, how much it says about pay and benefits, and how recently it was listed. Not a judgement of Vast as an employer.
What you need
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline
- 4+ years of spacecraft systems engineering or mission analysis experience
- Broad subsystem knowledge in power, thermal, ADCS, and orbital mechanics
- Strong analytical skills for setting up hand calculations
- Rigorous validation mindset
- Comfortable with AI-assisted development workflows
Nice to have
- Able to obtain a security clearance
- Experience building or maintaining spacecraft simulation tools
- Familiarity with orbital mechanics
- Familiarity with CMG dynamics and quaternion attitude propagation
- Experience with data visualization tools
What you get
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents
- Generous paid time off; up to 20+ days of vacation for exempt staff
- Paid parental leave
- Short and long-term disability insurance
- Life insurance
- Access to a 401(k) retirement plan
Worth weighing
- No specific mention of the technology stack used in the simulation toolchain
- The role emphasizes systems engineering over software engineering, which may limit software development exposure
- The position requires a strong validation mindset, which may be challenging if the candidate prefers less rigorous testing environments
Summarised from Vast's posting. Read the full original.
Listed by Vast on their greenhouse job board, last confirmed open on 2026-10-23. PitchMeAI is not the employer.
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