Legal Counsel

<div class="content-intro"><p>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.</p></div><p>Vast is seeking a <strong>Legal Counsel</strong> to join our growing legal team, reporting directly to the <strong>General Counsel</strong>. This role will focus primarily on commercial contracts (approximately 60%)—particularly within supply chain and manufacturing; medical team support (approximately 20%); as well as other critical legal matters supporting the design and construction of next-generation human-rated space stations. The remaining 20% will be focused on special projects.</p> <p>This will be a full-time, <strong>exempt </strong>position located in our <strong>Long Beach </strong>location.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Responsibilities:&nbsp;</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>Commercial Contracts – Supply Chain &amp; Manufacturing</strong>&nbsp; <ul> <li>Draft, negotiate, and manage commercial agreements, with a focus on supply chain, and manufacturing.</li> <li>Support sourcing, engineering, and operations teams in structuring processes and contracts that balance legal protection and operational efficiency.</li> <li>Provide guidance in coordination with subject matter experts on key legal terms, including IP rights, indemnities, warranties, and regulatory compliance.</li> <li>Build and scale robust internal processes and partner with others on implementation and improvement of business systems.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul> <li><strong>Medical Team Support</strong> <ul> <li>Support expansion of space medicine capabilities and the related complexities.</li> <li>Enhance internal processes and coordination across departments.</li> <li>Leverage knowledge of related areas such as supply chain, ethics &amp; compliance, and data privacy.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul> <li><strong>Strategic Legal Advisory &amp; Cross-Functional Support</strong> <ul> <li>Provide timely, business-oriented legal advice to stakeholders across multiple departments.</li> <li>Identify and manage legal risks while enabling innovation and execution speed.</li> <li>Support sensitive legal matters such as claims, investigations, compliance concerns, and dispute resolution.</li> <li>Collaborate on special projects and assist the General Counsel and Associate General Counsels with evolving priorities.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p><strong>Minimum Qualifications:</strong></p> <ul> <li>JD with active admission to a U.S. state bar in good standing; eligible to practice in-house in California.</li> <li>2+ years of experience in a legal role within a law firm, private company, or government agency.</li> <li>Subject matter expertise in commercial contracting.</li> <li>Experience supporting supply chain and manufacturing legal operations.</li> <li>Strong verbal and written communication skills; excellent judgment and problem-solving abilities.</li> <li>Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Preferred Skills &amp; Experience:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Deep understanding of aerospace industry legal frameworks, especially related to government and technology contracts.</li> <li>Strong relationship-building skills with both internal teams and external partners.</li> <li>Proactive and pragmatic approach to legal counseling and risk management.</li> <li>Demonstrated ability to manage shifting priorities and take initiative in unfamiliar legal areas.</li> <li>Familiarity with internal policy development and enforcement in a highly regulated environment.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Additional Requirements:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Ability to travel up to 15% of the time.</li> <li>Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends.</li> <li>Specific certifications, as appropriate.</li> </ul><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="title">Pay Range: California</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$155,000</span><span class="divider">&mdash;</span><span>$220,000 USD</span></div></div></div><div class="content-conclusion"><div style="line-height: 1;"><strong>COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS</strong></div> <div style="line-height: 1;">&nbsp;</div> <div style="line-height: 1;"> <div> <div data-qa="message_pane"> <div> <div id="message-list"> <div id="message-list"> <div data-qa="slack_kit_scrollbar"> <div> <div data-qa="slack_kit_list"> <div id="message-list_1770163429.476589" data-qa="virtual-list-item" data-item-key="1770163429.476589"> <div data-qa="message_container" data-qa-unprocessed="false" data-qa-placeholder="false" data-msg-ts="1770163429.476589" data-msg-channel-id="D1T52LDR4"> <div data-qa-hover="true"> <div> <div> <div> <div data-qa="message_content"> <div> <div data-qa="message-text"> <div data-qa="block-kit-renderer"> <div> <div> <div>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: 100% 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 &amp; 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.</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="message-list_bottomSpacer" data-qa="virtual-list-item" data-item-key="bottomSpacer"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div> <div>&nbsp;</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="line-height: 1;"> <p><strong>U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS</strong></p> 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 <a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-22/section-120.62">22 C.F.R. § 120.62</a> 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.</div> <div style="line-height: 1;">&nbsp;</div> <p style="line-height: 1;"><strong>EQUAL OPPORTUNITY</strong></p> <div style="line-height: 1;">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.</div></div>