Director, Avionics Electronic Engineering

Vast is seeking a Director, Avionics Electrical Engineering to lead the strategy, development, and execution of avionics systems that will power the world’s first artificial-gravity, human-rated space stations. This role will drive technical excellence, organizational leadership, and cross-functional alignment across programs critical to Vast’s mission.

Responsibilities

• Define the long-term vision, roadmap, and organizational structure for the Avionics team in support of human-rated spacecraft and space station programs.
• Build, mentor, and scale a high-performing, diverse engineering organization, empowering teams to own designs from concept through on-orbit operations.
• Foster a culture centered on safety, excellence, extreme ownership, accountability, and collaborative innovation.
• Provide technical leadership and oversight across multiple avionics electrical engineering activities, including architecture development, hardware design, test strategy, and integration.

• Guide engineering teams in designing, developing, and delivering high-reliability avionics systems optimized for extreme environments and human-rated missions.
• Review, challenge, and elevate engineering decisions, ensuring system-level thinking, risk awareness, and robust technical justification.

• Partner closely with program management, systems engineering, structures, propulsion, software, and manufacturing teams to align design criteria and translate mission needs into verifiable requirements.
• Establish program-level verification and validation milestones—including analyses, demonstrations, and tests—to ensure mission readiness and overall program success.
• Develop and implement engineering standards, quality protocols, documentation frameworks, and design best practices to improve reliability, efficiency, and repeatability across the organization.

• Champion improvements in avionics manufacturing, test coverage, and hardware reliability through data-driven decision-making and hands-on engineering insight.
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• 8+ years of experience in electrical circuit design, analysis, and testing.
• 5+ years of engineering leadership experience with direct responsibility for technical teams.
• Expertise with avionics test equipment (oscilloscopes, multimeters, current probes).
• Proven experience with analog, digital, and/or mixed-signal PCB design and multi-layer PCB development.
• Proficiency with Altium or similar ECAD design tools.
• Experience managing complex technical development projects from requirements through delivery.
• Familiarity with circuit simulation tools such as LTSpice or SIMPLIS.
• Strong understanding of electronics manufacturing processes and test strategy development.
• Hands-on experience sizing, integrating, and troubleshooting electronic components and assemblies.
  
  

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Demonstrated success deploying hardware with spaceflight heritage.
• Knowledge of spacecraft avionics systems, space environment impacts, and human-rated system requirements.
• Experience supporting or leading crewed space mission operations.
• Ability to communicate complex technical information clearly to varied audiences, including executives, partners, and cross-functional teams.
• Exceptional problem-solving abilities, capable of making informed design and development decisions with incomplete data while balancing multidisciplinary constraints.
• Highly self-motivated with strong organizational, documentation, and communication skills.
• Familiarity with NASA standards (e.g., EEE-INST-002, 8739.10) and other spaceflight-relevant requirements.
  Experience establishing engineering standards, quality processes, and performance optimization frameworks.

Salary Rang:

Director, Engineering (M5) $182,942 - $223,100 - $267,720