Director, Lunar Programs

Vast is seeking a Director, Lunar Programs, reporting to the Chief Policy Officer to lead all NASA-focused business development for Vast's lunar and cislunar initiatives. This role will lead customer engagement, opportunity development, capture strategy, and partnership efforts that advance Vast's initiatives to operate the world's leading in-space infrastructure in support of NASA's lunar exploration objectives, including  a sustained human presence at the Moon.

This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach, CA, Houston, TX or Washington, D.C. location.

Responsibilities: 

• Develop and execute a comprehensive NASA lunar market strategy aligned with Vast's revenue and mission objectives
• Collaborate with Leadership, Engineering, Policy and Government Relations, Marketing, Legal, Communications, and other internal teams to ensure alignment between NASA lunar customer needs and station and lunar system development priorities
• Coordinate the preparation and delivery of lunar briefings to support strategic planning and NASA engagement activities
• Lead internal planning for NASA lunar opportunity prioritization, capture strategy, and pipeline development
• Lead customer engagement across opportunity identification, mission scoping, capability briefings, and early concept development
• Identify, shape, and advance opportunities for NASA use of Vast systems across crewed lunar missions, cislunar operations, experimentation, and training
• Monitor and analyze NASA budget requests, congressional appropriations, and authorization language to anticipate shifts in lunar program funding and priorities
• Advise Vast leadership on programmatic considerations such as  cost, schedule, and risk posture that shape the viability and structure of NASA lunar opportunities
• Build relationships with NASA's international partners and their industry teams (e.g., ESA, JAXA, CSA, MBRSC) to identify multilateral opportunities and partnership constructs supporting sustained lunar presence
• Develop business cases, pricing strategy inputs, and ROM cost estimates in coordination with finance and program management
• Support proposal development and coordinate cross functional contributions from engineering, program management, legal, and operations teams
• Represent Vast at space industry events where civil space and government stakeholders are present
• Deliver presentations, participate in panels, and provide senior-level briefings that communicate the capabilities and value of Vast lunar systems

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, aerospace, business, or a related field
• 8+ years of relevant experience including substantial work in agency business development, capture management, civil space programs, or government contracting
• Deep understanding of procurement and contract structures, including IDIQ, OTA, FFP, CPFF, Space Act Agreements
• Excellent communication, analytical, collaboration, and interpersonal skills
• Strong technical understanding and ability to communicate complex systems to agency and civil space audiences
• Ability to operate independently, prioritize effectively, and manage multiple efforts simultaneously in a fast paced environment

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Master's degree in engineering, science, business, or a space policy discipline
• Experience working with NASA Headquarters, Johnson Space Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Kennedy Space Center, the Artemis program, or similar organizations
• Strong understanding of the flexible acquisition and partnership approaches NASA uses to explore new technologies, support research and experimentation, and rapidly evaluate emerging commercial capabilities
• Demonstrated experience leading efforts that secured major programs or awards, including strategy, teaming, and proposal
• Ability to work with sensitive or controlled program information

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to travel up to 30% of the time
• Ability to obtain and maintain any required government clearances