Senior Polymer Chemist

<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 looking for a <strong>Senior Polymer Chemist</strong>, reporting to the<strong> Non-Metallic Materials &amp; Processes Lead, </strong>to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations.&nbsp;</p> <p>This role supports toxicity and contamination control for Haven-1, ensuring a safe and healthy environment for crew members in orbit.&nbsp;</p> <p>This will be a <strong>full-time</strong>,&nbsp;<strong>exempt</strong> position located in our <strong>Long Beach</strong>&nbsp;location.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Responsibilities:&nbsp;</strong></p> <ul> <li>Conduct research on advanced polymer materials-including composites, coatings, and elastomers- with a focus on chemical stability, thermal decomposition, and outgassing/off-gassing behavior under aerospace-relevant conditions</li> <li>Operate and maintain analytical instrumentation, including SIFT-MS, TGA, FTIR, and TGA-FTIR</li> <li>Calibrate, validate, and optimize performance of analytical instruments; ensure high reliability and data integrity</li> <li>Troubleshoot and resolve equipment issues; liaise with vendors, technical support, stakeholders as needed</li> <li>Develop, refine, and validate methods for evolved gas analysis (EGA)<strong> </strong>and<strong> </strong>real-time volatile detection, including off-gas testing protocols using SIFT-MS</li> <li>Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including materials, thermal, and systems engineers, to integrate findings into broader design and testing efforts</li> <li>Ensure compliance with internal quality standards, industry best practices, and regulatory requirements related to materials and chemical analysis</li> </ul> <p><strong>Minimum Qualifications:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Bachelor’s degree in Polymer Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, or a related field</li> <li>3+ years of industrial or research experience in polymer characterization and analytical method development</li> <li>Hands-on experience operating and maintaining TGA, FTIR, GC-MS, HPLC-MS, and SIFT-MS or CIMS instrumentation</li> <li>Strong foundation in thermal analysis and gas-phase chemical detection</li> </ul> <p><strong>Preferred Skills &amp; Experience:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Masters degree or PhD in Polymer Chemistry or Analytical Chemistry preferred&nbsp;</li> <li>Expertise in SIFT-MS, TGA-FTIR, or TGA-MS data acquisition, method development, and result interpretation</li> <li>Advanced knowledge of polymer degradation mechanisms and desorption processes</li> <li>Experience validating analytical protocols and conducting method development for off-gassing and thermal stability testing</li> <li>Familiarity with NASA-STD-6001B for flammability, off-gassing, and material selection of non-metallic materials</li> <li>Familiarity with MAPTIS for material screening, evaluation, and compliance</li> <li>Strong data analysis skills, including statistical modeling and use of Design of Experiments (DoE)</li> <li>Exceptional problem-solving skills and attention to detail</li> <li>Proven ability to communicate complex technical findings clearly, both verbally and in writing</li> <li>Experience in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary environment, ideally in aerospace, defense, or other highly regulated industries</li> <li>Experience with identifying and investigating chemical ionization mechanisms (e.g., proton/electron transfer, adduct formation, dissociative electron transfer, hydride association) relevant to polymer off-gassing and degradation</li> </ul> <p><strong>Additional Requirements:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Ability to travel up to 10% of the time</li> <li>Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones</li> <li>Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted</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>$100,000</span><span class="divider">&mdash;</span><span>$145,000 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>