Vast
Materials & Processes Engineer, Metallics
$86K–$196K
Long Beach, California, United States · Full-time · Posted Sep 16, 2026
- Experience
- Level I: 0 years; Level II: 2+ years; Senior: 5+ years, with demonstrated technical leadership. Preferred: 5+ years supporting metallic materials and processes for high-reliability hardware.
- Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field.
About the job
Provides metallic materials and processes engineering for the design, qualification, manufacture, and support of human-rated spacecraft and flight hardware.
What you'll do
- Select and qualify metallic materials; develop and maintain material/process specifications, standards, acceptance criteria, allowables, and process controls.
- Evaluate manufacturing processes and material performance, plan qualification testing, and support failure analysis, root-cause investigations, and nonconformance resolution.
- Advise manufacturing and suppliers, serve as technical authority for selected areas, and contribute to cross-functional reviews and initiatives.
What they ask for
- Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field.
- Ability to travel up to 30% of the time.
- Willingness to work overtime or weekends to support critical mission milestones.
- Ability to lift up to 25 lbs. unassisted.
Nice to have
- Master’s degree or PhD in a listed or related field.
- Experience supporting metallic materials and processes for high-reliability hardware; expertise in areas such as welding and joining, heat treatment, or fatigue and fracture mechanics.
Pay
$86,100 - $122,220 USD (base salary, Materials and Processes Engineer I); $112,340 - $159,468 USD (base salary, Materials and Processes Engineer II); $137,760 - $195,552 USD (base salary, Senior Materials and Processes Engineer); $86,100 — $195,552 USD (base salary, California)
Tools
aluminum, stainless steels, titanium, nickel-based alloys, copper alloys, NADCAP, NASA, AMS
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative