Supervisor, Avionics Manufacturing - Electro Mechanical

At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. Vast is developing next-generation space stations to ensure a continuous human presence in space for America and its allies, enabling advanced microgravity research and manufacturing, and unlocking a new space economy for government, corporate, and private customers. Using an incremental, hardware-rich and low-cost approach, Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station. Haven Demo’s 2025 success made Vast the only operational commercial space station company to fly and operate its own spacecraft. Next, Haven-1 is expected to become the world’s first commercial space station when it launches, followed by additional Haven modules to enable permanent human presence by 2030. 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 Supervisor of Avionics Manufacturing - Electro Mechanical, reporting to Manager of Avionics Manufacturing, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations.

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

Shift hours: 

• Second shift: 2:00PM - 10:30PM

Responsibilities: 

• Organize, coordinate, prioritize, and communicate day-to-day electro-mechanical and electronics assembly work assignments for the second shift technician team, ensuring smooth and productive continuity from first shift operations.
• Lead, mentor, and model a strong work ethic, safety culture, and quality-first mindset on the production floor.
• Train and onboard new team members in electronics assembly techniques, soldering workmanship standards, and IPC J-STD-001 requirements, ensuring all personnel meet and maintain applicable soldering certification expectations.
• Support technicians in daily tasks including through-hole and surface mount soldering, component placement, PCB assembly, electro-mechanical integration, wire termination, connector assembly, and conformal coating in accordance with IPC J-STD-001 acceptance criteria.
• Assist with optimizing the electronics and electro-mechanical manufacturing process, considering factors such as cycle time, yield, quality, and cost-effectiveness while maintaining compliance with IPC J-STD-001 Class 2 and Class 3 standards.
• Participate in design reviews, providing practical manufacturing insight to improve the solderability, assemblability, and reliability of electronic and electro-mechanical assemblies.
• Collaborate with quality assurance teams to establish, maintain, and enforce rigorous quality control processes aligned with IPC J-STD-001 workmanship standards, including in-process inspections, solder joint evaluations, and final acceptance testing.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives by identifying opportunities to reduce soldering defects, minimize rework, eliminate waste, and improve overall electronics assembly quality and throughput.
• Meet demanding second shift production schedules to achieve high output rates while maintaining IPC J-STD-001 compliance and adapting to shifting priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and well-stocked production area, including ESD controls, tool control, consumable inventory (solder, flux, cleaning agents, conformal coating materials, etc.), and support of build infrastructure.
• Read and interpret technical drawings, schematics, assembly drawings, Bills of Materials (BOMs), and work instructions to support assembly and inspection activities.

Minimum Qualifications

• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in a technical field, with a strong preference for candidates with a background in electronics or electro-mechanical assembly manufacturing, preferably within the aerospace or defense industry.
• 3+ years of experience in a leadership or supervisory role, with demonstrated ability to guide, motivate, and manage production teams.
• High School Diploma or equivalency certificate.

 

Preferred Skills & Experience

• In-depth understanding of electronics and electro-mechanical manufacturing processes including SMT (Surface Mount Technology), through-hole soldering, hand soldering, rework and repair, conformal coating, potting, electro-mechanical integration, and functional/electrical testing.
• IPC J-STD-001 CIS or CIT certification, with the ability to train, evaluate, and certify technicians to IPC soldering workmanship standards. 
• Working knowledge of and experience operating within a formal quality management system such as AS9100, ISO 9001, or equivalent.
• Solid working knowledge of IPC J-STD-001 soldering standards; IPC J-STD-001 CIS (Certified IPC Specialist) or CIT (Certified IPC Trainer) certification is strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with complementary IPC standards including:
• IPC-A-610 (Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies)
• IPC-7711/7721 (Rework, Modification, and Repair of Electronic Assemblies)
• IPC-HDBK-001 (J-STD-001 Supporting Handbook)
• J-STD-004/005/006 (Requirements for Flux, Solder Paste, and Solder Alloys)
• Experience with ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) control practices and compliance with ANSI/ESD S20.20 standards in an electronics manufacturing environment.
• Experience creating and maintaining manufacturing documentation such as Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Work Instructions, Routers, and Inspection Criteria aligned with IPC J-STD-001.
• Experience with CAD or EDA tools (such as Altium, Siemens NX, or similar) for reviewing electronic assembly drawings, schematics, and BOMs.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to perform structured root cause analysis (RCA) and implement effective corrective actions for soldering and assembly defects.
• Hands-on experience with functional testing, electrical testing, and troubleshooting of electronic and electro-mechanical assemblies.
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing principles and process improvement methodologies (Six Sigma, 5S, Kaizen) as applied to electronics manufacturing.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to interface effectively with engineering, quality, and program management teams.
• Strong attention to detail and an unwavering commitment to producing assemblies that meet or exceed IPC J-STD-001 Class 3 acceptance criteria.

Additional Requirements

• Availability to work second shift on a consistent schedule, with willingness to work overtime or weekends to support critical production milestones.
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted.

Pay Range: California$96,760—$137,352 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: medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, generous paid time off; up to 20+ days of vacation for exempt staff and up to 10+ days of vacation for non-exempt staff with the ability to cash-out unused vacation annually, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, 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 & onsite barista, 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.