Mechanical Test Engineer II
Location
Long Beach, CA
Wage
$112,340 – $159,468/yr
Employment Type
Full-time
Apply for This Position
Posted on September 9, 2026
Job Description
Overview
Vast is developing next-generation space stations and infrastructure, focusing on a low-cost approach to enable continuous human presence in space. They are looking for a Mechanical Test Engineer II to support the design and build of human-rated space stations.
Responsibilities
- Design, build, and operate test rigs and GSE for ECLSS fluid, chemical, and electrical control systems.
- Perform hands-on assembly, integration, instrumentation, and testing of ECLSS hardware.
- Develop and maintain test procedures, work instructions, and hardware-specific documentation.
- Support Haven-1 flight hardware by contributing to Acceptance and Qualification Test Campaigns.
- Design test fixtures, wiring diagrams/schematics, and DAQ setups.
- Contribute to the team's transition from R&D-level testing toward standardized, production-ready test processes.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Chemical, Aerospace, or Electrical Engineering.
- Hands-on experience with fluid and/or chemical systems.
- Demonstrated ability to build, operate, and troubleshoot test rigs and hardware.
- Ability to create test documentation and maintain test traceability.
Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Dental
- Vision
- PTO
- 401k
Additional Information
- Full-time, exempt position located in Long Beach, California.
- Willingness to work overtime or weekends to support critical mission milestones.
- Ability to lift up to 25lbs unassisted.
Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO
401k
How this job compares in Long Beach, CA
Pay in context
At roughly $65/hr, this posting sits about 56% above the $42/hr median for welding jobs in Long Beach, CA — toward the top of a $31–$59/hr middle band drawn from 42 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 86% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. Pay that far above local median usually comes attached to something: a harder cert requirement, travel, night shift, or overtime that isn't really optional. Worth establishing which before you accept.
The local market in Long Beach, CA
We're tracking 47 other active welding openings in Long Beach, CA right now, from 18 different employers. 15 of them were added in the last week. Across California as a whole we're tracking 650 other active welding openings from 315 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Long Beach, or widen the search to California.
Vast currently has 11 other openings live in California, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.
The most active employers in California at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are SpaceX (34), Honeywell Aerospace (16), and Aerotek (13). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.
Within California, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Santa Ana at $53/hr, Redondo Beach at $51/hr, and Long Beach at $42/hr. Long Beach is among them.
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Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Mechanical Test Engineer II figures were last recalculated when this page was built.