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Vast

Mechanisms Engineer

Location

Long Beach, CA

Wage

$112,340 – $230,000/yr

Employment Type

Full-time

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Posted on September 12, 2026

Job Description

Overview

Vast is developing next-generation space stations and infrastructure with a focus on low-cost and hardware-rich approaches. The company seeks a Mechanisms Engineer to support the development of space mechanisms for its upcoming Haven Station and other projects.

Responsibilities

  • Develop mechanisms from ideation to flight, including design, analysis, building, testing, and iteration.
  • Own critical spacecraft hardware/systems with a high level of responsibility.
  • Interface with a production team to ensure successful translation of designs into spacecraft.

Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, aerospace, or similar engineering.
  • 2+ years of experience in the design, build, and/or test of mechanisms, structures, valves, or other mechanical systems.
  • Strong understanding of spacecraft and/or launch vehicle mechanisms and mechanical assemblies.
  • Experience in NX/Teamcenter or other CAD packages with knowledge of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) per ASME Y14.5.
  • Professional or project experience with FEMAP, ANSYS, or similar finite element analysis (FEA) software tools.
  • Knowledge of metallic manufacturing techniques and processes.
  • Good understanding of aerospace materials including metals, plastics, and composites.
  • Solid understanding of test methods/setups and data acquisition systems.
  • Ability to perform trade studies using first principles and engineering fundamentals.
  • Passion for advancing the commercial space industry and human spaceflight.
  • Ability to work well in a collaborative team environment.
  • Highly self-motivated with strong organizational and communication skills.

Benefits

  • 401k
  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • Full-time, exempt position located in Long Beach, California.
  • Up to 10% travel to remote sites and vendors as needed.

Benefits

401k
Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO
Apply for This Position

How this job compares in Long Beach, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $82/hr, this posting sits about 61% above the $51/hr median for welding jobs in Long Beach, CA — toward the top of a $34–$68/hr middle band drawn from 49 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 56 other active welding openings in Long Beach, CA right now, from 15 different employers. 13 of them were added in the last week. Across California as a whole we're tracking 574 other active welding openings from 267 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 21 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), Vast (21), and Relativity Space (20). 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 Redondo Beach at $71/hr, Long Beach at $51/hr, and Torrance at $43/hr. Long Beach is among them.

Certifications this posting mentions

  • ASME Section IX — the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code qualification. It covers welding on pressure-retaining equipment — boilers, vessels, and process piping — where a failed weld is a safety incident rather than a rework ticket.

Read straight from this posting's text. Confirm the exact qualification the employer wants before you test — requirements vary by shop even under the same code.

Similar openings near Long Beach, CA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Mechanisms Engineer figures were last recalculated when this page was built.