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Vast · 2 weeks ago

Vice President, Special Programs

Washington, DC

Full-time

Onsite

Director/Executive

$235K/yr - $294K/yr

10+ years exp

Vast is dedicated to advancing space exploration by developing artificial gravity space stations. The Vice President of Special Programs will lead national security-focused business development efforts for Haven-1 and future systems, engaging with customers and developing strategies to support national security objectives.

Defense & Space

Culture & Values

No H1B

Security Clearance Required

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a comprehensive national security market strategy aligned with Vast’s revenue and mission objectives

Collaborate with Leadership, Engineering, Marketing, Legal, Communications, and other internal teams to ensure alignment between national security customer needs and station development priorities

Coordinate the preparation and delivery of space-relevant national security threat briefings to support strategic planning and defense engagement activities

Lead internal planning for national security opportunity prioritization, capture strategy, and pipeline development

Lead customer engagement across opportunity identification, mission scoping, capability briefings, and early concept development

Identify, shape, and advance opportunities for national security use of Vast systems across crewed missions, experimentation, training, test and evaluation, and payload hosting

Lead proposal development and coordinate cross functional contributions from engineering, program management, legal, and operations teams

Manage pipeline development, forecasting, and reporting across all national security accounts

Negotiate and close contracts for national security missions and associated services

Represent Vast at national security, aerospace, and space industry events where defense and government stakeholders are present

Deliver presentations, participate in panels, and provide senior-level briefings that communicate the capabilities and value of Vast stations

Support Communications and Marketing in the development and delivery of defense-related public materials, messaging, and engagement strategies

Qualification

DoD business developmentCapture managementDefense contractingPrograms of RecordNational security strategyCommunication skillsMaster's degreeU.S. Space Force experienceClassified environments

Required

Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, aerospace, business, or a related field

10+ years of relevant experience including substantial work in Department of Defense business development, capture management, special programs, or defense contracting

Deep understanding of DoD procurement and contract structures, including IDIQ, OTA, FFP, CPFF, Programs of Record, and SBIR Phase III

Demonstrated experience leading efforts that secured Programs of Record, including strategy, teaming, and proposal

Excellent communication, analytical, collaboration, and interpersonal skills

Strong technical understanding and ability to communicate complex systems to defense audiences

Ability to operate independently, prioritize effectively, and manage multiple efforts simultaneously in a fast paced environment

Ability to travel up to 30% of the time

TS/SCI with CI Polygraph

Preferred

Master's degree in engineering, science, business, or a national security discipline

Experience working with the U.S. Space Force, Space Development Agency, Defense Innovation Unit, DARPA, Air Force, or similar organizations

Strong understanding of the flexible acquisition approaches DoD uses to explore new technologies, support research and experimentation, and rapidly evaluate emerging commercial capabilities

Ability to work in classified environments

Benefits

100% medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents

Flexible paid time off for exempt staff

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

Other discounts and perks

Exceptional food perks, with snacks, drip coffee, cold drinks, and dinner meals remaining free of charge

Lunch subsidized as part of Vast’s ongoing commitment to providing high-quality meals for employees

Company

Vast

Vast is developing next-generation space stations to ensure 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.

Founded in 2021

Long Beach, California, US

501-1000 employees