Manufacturing Engineer - Factory Systems & Rate Production

Vast is looking for a Manufacturing Engineer – Factory Systems & Rate Production, reporting to the Director of Operational Excellence, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations. Use this space to describe the role and sell the candidate on the cool stuff they would get to work on.

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

Responsibilities:

Own Haven-2 factory layout and production system architecture, including maintain authoritative, up-to-date floor plans and work center configurations, and lead future-state factory design to meet rate production requirements as the program scales

Lead DFM/DFA reviews and manufacturing readiness activities from development through production, partnering directly with design engineering to optimize producibility, assembly efficiency, and transition readiness and representing Manufacturing Engineering in design reviews (PDR, CDR), manufacturing readiness reviews (MRR), and production readiness reviews (PRR)

Define, implement, and own key performance metrics across all Haven-2 work centers including throughput, cycle time, first-pass yield, and capacity utilization and design the data infrastructure and reporting systems required to monitor, analyze, and act on production performance

Lead structured continuous improvement programs using Lean, Six Sigma, and value stream design methodologies, conducting time and motion studies (MOST, Yamazumi), identifying bottlenecks, and implementing standardized, scalable solutions that measurably improve throughput and reduce cycle time

Develop and maintain the full suite of manufacturing documentation, including process plans, routings, standard work, and work instructions ensuring consistency, repeatability, and compliance with AS9100 and applicable aerospace workmanship standards

Specify, qualify, and deploy tooling, fixtures, and production equipment, including coordinating custom tooling design to enable efficient, repeatable assembly of complex space hardware

Drive process standardization across products, assemblies, and work centers, reducing variability and building the operational foundation necessary for sustainable rate scaling

Lead process qualification and manufacturing readiness activities, including first article inspections (FAI), process validation, and AS9100 certification efforts acting as the primary manufacturing engineering project management resource for these initiatives

Facilitate regular production performance reviews with manufacturing, quality, and supply chain leadership presenting data-driven analysis of throughput, efficiency, and rate performance, and leading corrective action on identified gaps

Act as a hands-on systems-level problem solver on the manufacturing floor, bringing structured analytical rigor and practical engineering judgment to complex operational challenges

Proven expertise in Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies, with demonstrated results in throughput improvement, cycle time reduction, and process standardization

Experience conducting time and motion analysis (MOST, Yamazumi, or equivalent) to establish standard work and quantify improvement opportunities

Hands-on experience developing and maintaining manufacturing documentation (process plans, routings, work instructions) in compliance with AS9100 or equivalent quality management systems

Strong data and analytics skills demonstrated ability to design manufacturing performance metrics, build dashboards, and drive decisions from production data using tools such as Tableau, Power BI, or SQL

Strong cross-functional communication skills, with experience presenting manufacturing performance, risks, and strategies to engineering and operations leadership

Proven project management capability across concurrent manufacturing initiatives with multiple stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications:

Lean or Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or Black Belt) with quantified project results

Direct experience with AS9100 certification, audits, or quality management system implementation in an aerospace or defense manufacturing environment

Experience leading manufacturing readiness reviews (MRR), production readiness reviews (PRR), or first article inspections (FAI) for flight or high-reliability hardware programs

Familiarity with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) or ERP/MRP platforms (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Aligni) and experience leveraging them to improve production traceability and efficiency

Proficiency with CAD or facility planning tools (AutoCAD, SolidWorks, or equivalent) for factory layout and work center design

Experience scaling production from low-rate initial production (LRIP) to high-rate production for complex aerospace or space hardware

Familiarity with PFMEA, process validation, and quality planning methodologies applied to aerospace hardware manufacturing

Advanced skills in manufacturing data visualization and analytics, including experience building integrated reporting systems from multiple production data sources

Pay Range:

Manufacturing Engineer II: $112,000 - $159,000

Senior Manufacturing Engineer: $137,700 - $195,000

Staff Manufacturing Engineer: $162,00 - $230,000

Pay Range: California

$112,000—$230,000 USD