Senior CMF Designer

Vast is developing next-generation space stations and space infrastructure using an incremental, hardware-rich, and low-cost approach. Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station 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. 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 in 2027, followed by additional Haven modules. Additionally, the company recently announced Vast Satellite, a high-power satellite product line leveraging its space station components and the heritage of Haven Demo.

Headquartered in Long Beach, California, and with more than 1,000 employees and over a billion dollars in private capital, Vast has built the facilities required to manufacture and operate America’s next space station. The company plans to develop future habitats and systems for the Moon and Mars, dedicated space stations for government partners, and other crewed systems that will unlock the expanding long-term space economy.

Vast is looking for a Senior Color, Material, and Finish Designer, reporting to the Senior Manager, Industrial Design, to lead and own the development of optimized materials, colors, and details that will be required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations.

You will be working closely with industrial designers, material engineers, soft good technicians and supply chain to define the experience of our astronauts onboard our space stations such as eating, sleeping, exercise and more via cutting edge materials. You will own every aspect of the CMF design process end-to-end. This includes spaceflight material heritage research, vendor collaboration, mood board creation and visual strategy, ground up material testing and development, and final material production.

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

Responsibilities: 

• Own and evolve the Color, Material, and Finish (CMF) design strategy for the space station experience, ensuring materials, colors, and details add value to the astronaut experience while meeting engineering requirements, certification standards, and human-rated safety criteria (e.g., flammability, off-gassing/toxicity, cleanability)
• Apply deep expertise in design specifications and manufacturing requirements to ideate, visualize, and develop color, material, and graphic design concepts for transportation/aerospace-grade products, with minimal oversight
• Lead cross-functional collaboration and negotiation with manufacturing, suppliers, and engineering throughout all phases of development, driving final CMF designs to production in support of Haven-1, Haven-2 and future program milestones
• Build and maintain a CMF materials library and design standards/guidelines that scale across current and future Vast programs
• Source, vet, and manage a network of vendors and fabricators, independently evaluating tradeoffs in cost, performance, and innovation
• Partner with outside test agencies to validate new and innovative materials against aerospace and human-rated requirements, owning the qualification process
• Present CMF strategy, rationale, and design direction to design and engineering leadership and cross-functional stakeholders, including at key program milestones
• Identify and proactively de-risk material and finish decisions that could impact program schedule, cost, or certification

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design, Transportation Design, Material Science, or equivalent experience
• 6+ years of related professional CMF design experience, including demonstrated ownership of CMF programs from concept through production
• Proven track record of leading CMF design strategy independently on complex, highly engineered products

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Prior CMF experience in aerospace, automotive, transportation, or other highly regulated/certified product environments; direct exposure to human-rated or spaceflight hardware standards a strong plus
• Demonstrated ability to build physical prototypes to express unique design concepts, and to lead others in doing the same
• Strong conceptual design skills — sketching, modeling, mock-ups, and visual storytelling — applied at a strategic as well as hands-on level
• Track record of driving ideation and concept generation under tight timelines and shifting priorities
• Advanced proficiency across relevant design software (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite, CAD/3D visualization tools) and general technical fluency across enterprise software
• Experience creating and managing RFPs, POs, and facilities work orders within an ERP system, including basic budget ownership
• Demonstrated experience mentoring or leading other designers, formally or informally
• Excellent judgment and ability to make sound decisions independently with limited or ambiguous information
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to present and defend design decisions to senior leadership, vendors, and cross-functional partners
• Logical, strategic approach to problem-solving, balanced with hands-on craft sensibility
• Ability to read and understand architectural/facilities floor plans
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple concurrent projects and adjusting quickly to abrupt shifts in strategic direction

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to travel up to 20% of the time
• Willingness to work overtime, or weekends to support critical mission milestones
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted
• Specific certifications, as appropriate

Pay Range: California$135,000—$192,000 USD

We calibrate level and compensation to the selected candidate's experience and demonstrated capability. We welcome applicants across a range of experience levels to apply.

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: 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.