Financial Analyst

Vast•Long Beach, CA 90801, US• Full Time

Posted 1 week ago• Business & Finance• G&A

Compensation

$108,000–$153,000/year

Job Description

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 seeking a Financial Analyst to report to the Strategic Finance Manager and support financial planning and execution for our engineering and manufacturing organizations. This role sits at the intersection of finance and hardware development and plays a key role in supporting complex engineering programs from early-stage development through production and operational ramp.

The ideal candidate understands the realities of hardware development, including iterative design cycles, prototype builds, engineering labor investment, evolving cost structures, and supplier engagement. This individual will partner closely with engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing leadership to assess cost performance across major programs while translating technical progress into clear financial insight for senior leadership; the candidate must be able to distill this information absent existing structure and be able to excel in an ambiguous environment

This is a full-time, exempt position located at our Long Beach, CA headquarters.

Responsibilities:

Partner directly with engineering and manufacturing leadership to support financial planning across hardware development programs
Develop and maintain models that track engineering labor, vendor spend, tooling investments, prototype builds, and overall program cost evolution
Support cost forecasting, headcount planning, capital tracking, and supplier spend analysis
Provide visibility into investment levels across development efforts, including early-stage design, testing, and production ramp
Analyze cost drivers tied to design revisions, schedule shifts, and supplier dynamics
Partner with supply chain and manufacturing teams to evaluate material cost trends and build financial models to accurately forecast expected spending
Translate technical program updates into structured financial analysis and executive-ready reporting
Support program reviews by identifying risks, tradeoffs, and financial implications of engineering decisions
Identify opportunities to improve financial rigor, tools, and cross-functional reporting processes

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Finance, Economics, Operations, or a related field
4–10 years of experience in engineering or engineering/program finance within hardware-focused industries such as mechanical, aerospace, manufacturing, systems, robotics, drone, or satellite environments
Strong Excel or Google Sheets modeling skills with the ability to build structured cost and resource models
Experience working cross-functionally with engineering and manufacturing stakeholders

Preferred Skills & Experience:

Experience in aerospace, robotics, drone, satellite, or advanced hardware startups
Familiarity with hardware development lifecycles from concept and R&D through production ramp
Experience supporting cost reviews, schedule reviews, or program execution milestones
Earned Value Management (EVM) exposure
Ability to synthesize technical and financial inputs into concise insights for leadership
Strong written and verbal communication skills with comfort presenting to senior technical leader

Additional Requirements:

Ability to travel up to 25% of the time
Willingness to work overtime, or weekends to support critical mission milestones
Ability to lift up to 25lbs unassisted
Specific certifications, as appropriate

Pay Range:

Business Analyst: $108,000 - $153,000

Pay Range: California

$108,000—$153,000 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: 100% 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.