Senior Audio & Acoustics Engineer

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 August 2025. 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 Audio & Acoustics Engineer, reporting to the Principal Human Systems Engineer, to support the development of the audio and acoustic 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

• Responsible for the planning, design, and implementation of audio systems and acoustic management for crew-habitable space stations.
• Simulate acoustic environments with inputs from various teams to understand and mitigate unwanted or dangerous sound pressure levels and frequencies.
• Select speaker and microphone components with appropriate levels of audibility, intelligibility, reliability, and redundancy.
• Select and qualify audio codecs, amplifiers, and applicable filters.
• Select acoustic baffling components, materials, and geometries to ensure ambient environment noise facilitates successful mission execution.
• Partner with hardware and manufacturing engineers and technicians to develop customized, space-qualified solutions.
• Ensure audio and acoustic systems adhere to all applicable requirements and standards.
• Provide guidance to external vendors for running tests and for modifying their transducers for our application.
• Produce sound analyses to ensure adequate sound levels and intelligibility in both nominal and emergency scenarios.
• Routinely work with associated teams in other disciplines to ensure robust system and component design and selection, including avionics, power, structural, thermal, materials, and medical.
  
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering or other engineering discipline
• 5+ years of experience in audio and/or acoustic design
  
  
  

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience with digital signal processing, coding, and embedded systems
• Experience with I2S, lossless compression, and bandwidth constrained audio streaming
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment
• Ability to make independent judgments with limited information
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to be able to collaborate effectively with colleagues and partner vendors
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment balancing several projects at any given time, and the flexibility to adjust for abrupt changes in strategic direction
• Experience with audio and acoustic systems on aircraft, watercraft, or spacecraft
• Experience with lighting systems on aircraft, watercraft, or spacecraft
• Experience with recording studio audio and acoustic design
  
  
  

Salary Range: California

$140,000—$170,000 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: 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, flexible paid time off for exempt staff and up to 15 days of vacation for non-exempt staff, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, free catered meals and snacks and beverages, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, One Medical membership, ClassPass credits, personalized mental healthcare through Spring Health, and other discounts and perks.

U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS

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.
  
  
  

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

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.