Senior Welder and Fabrication Technician

Senior Welder and Fabrication Technician

Location:

Long Beach, California, United States

At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. We are building artificial gravity space stations, allowing long‑term stays in space without the adverse effects of zero‑gravity. Our initial crewed space habitat will be Haven‑1, scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station when it launches into low‑Earth orbit in 2026.

It is part of our stepping‑stone approach to continuous human presence in LEO. 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 Senior Welder and Fabrication
, reporting to the Shop Floor Supervisor
, to support the development of systems required for the design and build of artificial‑gravity human‑rated space stations. This will be a full‑time
, non‑exempt position located in our Long Beach location.

• Weld the Haven Structure for human spaceflight.
• Operate mechanized and robotic welding equipment.
• Fabricate and weld tooling to support Haven quickly.
• Inspect fabricated parts for geometry acceptance and weld conformance.
• Fit, form parts, clean parts as required, and set up welding equipment in preparation for welding.
• Perform Class A quality aluminum welds.
• Diagnose weld defects and suggest corrective actions, both in repair and process optimization.
• Work with engineering to improve tools and problem‑solve.
• Handle materials of raw goods and finished weldments.
• Use a variety of metal fabrication equipment such as vertical bandsaw, sanding equipment, and set up jig tables efficiently.

• 5+ years of experience with Class A TIG welding.
• 5+ years of experience with fabrication and forming.
• Experience reading engineering blueprints.
• Ability to follow written and verbal instruction.
• Familiarity with x‑ray technicians and other NDT techniques.
• Automated/robotic welding experience preferred (VPPAW).
• Self‑starter, highly motivated, working in a fast‑paced department.
• 5+ years with Class A aerospace welding.

• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time.
• Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones.
• Ability to lift up to 25 lb unassisted.

• Senior Welder and Fabrication Technician: $36.00 – $50.00 per hour.

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, and access to a full suite of benefits and perks, including:

• 100 % medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents.
• Flexible paid time off for exempt staff and up to 10 days of vacation for non‑exempt staff.
• Paid parental leave.
• Short‑ and long‑term disability insurance.
• Life insurance.
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• One Medical membership.
• Class Pass credits.
• Personalized mental healthcare through Spring Health.
• Other discounts and perks.
• Free snacks, drip coffee, cold drinks, and dinner meals; lunch subsidized.

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), as well as 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.