Manager, Soft Goods

United States·Long Beachmid

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Quick Summary

Key Responsibilities

Lead and mentor a team of soft-goods fabrication technicians and manufacturing engineers. Conduct daily team meetings to communicate goals, priorities, and expectations. Coordinate work schedules,

Requirements Summary

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience. 5–7 years of experience in a manufacturing environment. 3+ years of experience working in a soft-goods manufacturing space.

Technical Tools

OtherManager

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 looking for a Manager,Soft Goods reporting to the VP, Manufacturing, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations.

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

Responsibilities

~1 min read

→Lead and mentor a team of soft-goods fabrication technicians and manufacturing engineers.
→Conduct daily team meetings to communicate goals, priorities, and expectations.
→Coordinate work schedules, staffing, and assignments to optimize productivity and meet program milestones.
→Own and improve manufacturing processes for soft goods fabrication, driving efficiency and scalability.
→Ensure aerospace industry quality standards are followed and continuously improved.
→Implement and oversee quality control measures, including inspection and documentation practices.
→Collaborate closely with engineering teams and cross-functional partners to drive process improvements and design for manufacturability (DFM).
→Coordinate repairs with maintenance teams in a timely manner to minimize downtime.
→Enforce safety protocols within the soft-goods manufacturing environment.
→Identify training and development needs for the team and build organizational capability.
→Develop and maintain strong relationships with leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
→Ensure purchase orders and production activities are executed accurately with no cost overruns.
→Interface with internal customers/end users to define scope of work and ensure requirements are met.

Requirements

~2 min read

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
5–7 years of experience in a manufacturing environment.
3+ years of experience working in a soft-goods manufacturing space.
1–2+ years of experience leading or managing technical teams.

Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones.
Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted.

Pay Range: California

$102,000—$145,500 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: 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.

Nice to Have

~1 min read

Proven leadership abilities with a track record of managing and developing teams.
Experience in a manufacturing leadership role within an aerospace or high-reliability environment.
Familiarity with lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement methodologies.
Commitment to safety, quality, and adherence to standards.
Ability to analyze data and implement process improvements.
Knowledge of aerospace-grade fabrics and sewing/fabrication processes.
Strong problem-solving skills and ability to make timely decisions.
Effective communication and collaboration skills across engineering and production teams.
Comfortable working in a high-pressure environment with changing priorities.
High attention to detail, strong work ethic, and personal integrity.

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.

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.