Director, Loads & Dynamics

Vast is seeking a highly accomplished and strategic Director, Loads & Dynamics, reporting to the Vice President of Structures & Mechanical Systems, to lead and scale the Loads & Dynamics organization supporting next-generation human-rated space stations and spacecraft.

The ideal candidate will bring extensive technical expertise in spacecraft or launch vehicle dynamics, proven experience building and leading high-performing engineering teams, and a track record of delivering complex aerospace programs from concept through flight operations.

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

Responsibilities:

• Lead, scale, and develop the Loads & Dynamics organization, including multiple engineering teams and managers responsible for low- and high-frequency loads and environment predictions across all spacecraft programs and product lines.
• Define and execute the long-term technical strategy and roadmap for the Loads & Dynamics discipline, aligned with company objectives, program milestones, and business growth plans.
• Own department-level budget, headcount planning, capital investments, and resource allocation decisions to support current and future program needs.
• Drive execution excellence across the full product lifecycle, including concept development, requirements definition, analysis, testing, verification, qualification, flight support, and on-orbit operations.
• Establish and maintain system-level dynamic models, load cases, environments, and methodologies to support spacecraft design, integration, certification, and operations across multiple vehicle programs.
• Define internal loads and environmental requirements derived from system-level requirements, including quasi-static, random vibration, shock, and acoustic environments.
• Provide technical authority and oversight for vibration and shock requirement tailoring, test planning, and qualification verification activities across all programs.
• Lead the development, correlation, and continuous improvement of finite element and dynamic prediction models using test data, flight data, and lessons learned.
• Establish standardized post-processing tools, methodologies, and best practices for dynamic analyses, test data reduction, and high-speed data processing across teams.
• Oversee assessment of vendor and supplier hardware capabilities against internally generated dynamic predictions and qualification requirements.
• Partner with senior leadership across Structures, Propulsion, Thermal, Avionics, GNC, Manufacturing, Test, Systems Engineering, and Program Management to ensure integrated vehicle performance and successful hardware delivery.
• Lead and oversee technical reviews, design trades, failure investigations, root cause analyses, and corrective action efforts related to dynamic environments and structural performance.
• Provide executive-level technical leadership for spacecraft qualification activities, including vibration, modal, acoustic, and shock testing campaigns.
• Establish organizational priorities, staffing strategies, succession plans, and capability development initiatives to build a world-class Loads & Dynamics team.
• Serve as technical authority and risk management leader for dynamic environments, ensuring system performance, reliability, safety, and compliance with aerospace standards, certification requirements, and customer specifications.
• Develop and mentor managers and senior engineers, fostering a culture of accountability, technical excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Drive organizational and process improvements that enhance modeling accuracy, analysis efficiency, product quality, and program execution performance across the department.
• Build and maintain relationships with external customers, agencies, suppliers, contractors, and test facilities to support development, qualification, and mission success.
• Represent the Loads & Dynamics organization in executive leadership forums, program reviews, customer meetings, and industry engagements.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 12+ years of engineering experience in aerospace or other safety-critical industries.
• 5+ years of engineering management experience, including experience managing managers or leading multiple teams.
• Extensive experience in loads and environments prediction, structural dynamics, vibration, acoustic, shock, and coupled systems analyses for spacecraft, launch vehicles, or other flight-critical systems.
• Deep expertise in structural dynamics fundamentals, finite element methods, and systems integration principles.
• Proven track record supporting hardware development through full product lifecycle, including qualification, certification, launch, and flight operations.
• Proficiency with industry-standard analysis tools such as FEMAP/NASTRAN, ANSYS, Abaqus, or equivalent.
• Experience owning department-level budgets, resource planning, and organizational development.
• Experience working with cross-functional engineering, manufacturing, and program management organizations.

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Master's degree or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Structural Dynamics, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience leading Loads & Dynamics organizations responsible for multiple spacecraft, launch vehicles, or flight-critical system programs.
• Proven success delivering complex aerospace programs from concept through qualification, integration, launch, and on-orbit operations.
• Technical authority-level expertise in modal analysis, quasi-static loads, random vibration, sine vibration, shock, acoustic environments, transient dynamic response analysis, and coupled loads analysis.
• Extensive hands-on experience overseeing vibration, acoustic, shock, and modal testing campaigns in laboratory, production, and launch site environments.
• Experience developing organizational capabilities for finite element model development, correlation, and certification using test and flight data.
• Deep familiarity with coupled loads analysis (CLA), spacecraft dynamic environments, launch vehicle integration requirements, and payload certification processes.
• Expert knowledge of spacecraft launch load environments and industry standards such as SMC-S-016, GSFC-STD-7000A, MIL-STD-810, NASA-STD-5002, and NASA-STD-7001.
• Ability to communicate complex structural dynamic concepts clearly to executive leadership, customers, and multidisciplinary engineering organizations.
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical, troubleshooting, and root cause investigation skills.
• Excellent executive communication, organizational, and collaboration skills.
• Experience building and scaling engineering organizations in fast-paced development and manufacturing environments.
• Experience interfacing with NASA, DoD, FAA, or commercial spaceflight customers on technical and certification matters.
• Passion for advancing the future of human spaceflight and space habitation.