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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 May 2026. 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.

Position Overview:

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Network Engineer to help architect, implement, and support mission-critical network infrastructure across data centers, cloud platforms, and enterprise WAN environments. This role requires a strong technical background in routing, switching, security, and automation, as well as the ability to work independently and collaboratively within cross-functional teams. You will support infrastructure modernization, lead complex troubleshooting efforts, and help shape the evolution of network services across the organization.

This position is ideal for engineers who are passionate about performance, security, and scalability—and who thrive in technically demanding environments with room to innovate.

This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location.

Key Responsibilities:

Design, configure, and maintain enterprise network infrastructure, including routing, switching, VPNs, wireless, firewalls, and load balancers across multi-vendor environments (Cisco, Juniper, Fortinet, Arista, Palo Alto, F5).
Build and support Layer 3 campus and data center networks leveraging protocols such as BGP, OSPF, VXLAN/EVPN, and MPLS.
Lead implementation of SD-WAN, hybrid cloud networking, and secure connectivity solutions (AWS/Azure/GCP).
Deploy and maintain monitoring, logging, and network observability platforms to ensure system health and performance.
Collaborate with architecture and cloud teams to support scalable, resilient designs and cloud migration initiatives.
Participate in the development and enforcement of network standards, documentation, and operational playbooks.
Apply automation tools (e.g., Python, Ansible, Jinja2) to reduce configuration errors and improve operational efficiency.
Serve as escalation point for complex network issues and provide root cause analysis and long-term remediation plans.
Maintain awareness of emerging technologies, security threats, and industry best practices; proactively make recommendations for improvement.
Mentor junior engineers and contribute to technical knowledge-sharing across the team.

Minimum Qualifications:

7+ years of hands-on experience in network engineering roles supporting large-scale enterprise or service provider environments.
Deep understanding of Layer 2/3 networking, including VLANs, STP, HSRP/VRRP, BGP, OSPF, QoS, and multicast.
Experience with modern data center and campus fabrics using VXLAN, EVPN, and spine-leaf architectures.
Proven expertise in configuring and supporting firewalls, VPNs, and remote access technologies.
Practical experience with hybrid cloud or cloud-native networking in AWS, Azure, or GCP.
Working knowledge of automation and scripting (Python, Ansible, REST APIs) for network operations and configuration management.
Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills across networking, security, and infrastructure layers.
Ability to manage projects, communicate technical ideas clearly, and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Network Engineering, or related technical field
Technical bootcamps or equivalent work experience will be considered in lieu of a degree for outstanding candidates.

Preferred Skills & Experience:

Professional-level certifications such as CCNP, JNCIP, or vendor-neutral equivalents (CWNP, CompTIA, etc.).
Experience supporting SD-WAN, NAC (e.g., ClearPass, ISE), wireless networking, and network segmentation solutions.
Exposure to infrastructure as code, Git-based configuration pipelines, and open-source monitoring tools (NetBox, Grafana, Zabbix, etc.).
Experience in regulated or high-availability industries such as finance, aerospace, media, or healthcare.

Salary Range:

Senior Network Engineer: $140,000 - $185,000 USD
Staff Network Engineer: $160,000 - $230,000

Salary Range: California$140,000—$230,000 USD

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITSBase 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 10 days of vacation for non-exempt staff, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, One Medical membership, 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, 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.

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.