Staff Data Architect

Vast is looking for a Staff Data Architect, reporting to the Senior Director of Information Systems, to support the development of the data infrastructure and AI-driven capabilities 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.

• Design, architect, and implement scalable enterprise data infrastructure including data lakes, warehouses, and real-time streaming platforms

• Build and maintain robust data pipelines that feed internal AI/ML tools and enable advanced analytics across all departments

• Own end-to-end data architecture from ingestion through transformation to consumption, ensuring data quality, reliability, and security

• Integrate data from complex engineering systems (PLM/Teamcenter), manufacturing systems (MES/MOM), ERP (NetSuite), IoT/sensor networks and other enterprise systems

• Create innovative data solutions that enable AI/ML capabilities for engineering analysis, manufacturing optimization, and supply chain intelligence

• Establish data governance frameworks, standards, and best practices across the organization

• Implement MLOps infrastructure to support model training, deployment, and monitoring

• Build real-time data pipelines from shop floor systems, test equipment, and operational technology (OT) environments

• Collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and business teams to understand data requirements and deliver BI/AI-ready datasets

• Lead and mentor a high-performing data engineering team, establishing technical standards and fostering a culture of extreme ownership

• Evaluate and implement cutting-edge data technologies including cloud-native services, vector databases, and modern data stack tools

• Optimize data pipelines for performance, cost-efficiency, and scalability

• Implement monitoring, alerting, observability, and disaster recovery capabilities for mission-critical data systems

• Provide technical leadership and strategic guidance on data architecture to executive leadership

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, Computer Engineering, or equivalent work experience

• 8+ years of hands-on experience in data engineering, data architecture, or related fields

• 3+ years of experience in a technical leadership role leading data engineering teams or initiatives

• Proven track record of building enterprise-scale data infrastructure and production data pipelines

• Deep hands-on experience with cloud data platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and associated data services

• Strong experience with modern data processing frameworks (Apache Spark, Kafka, Airflow, or equivalent)

• Demonstrated experience with data warehousing technologies (Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, Redshift, or similar)

• Experience supporting AI/ML initiatives with production-grade data pipelines and infrastructure

• Experience in manufacturing, aerospace, defense, or hardware-intensive industries

• Background integrating data from PLM systems (Teamcenter, Windchill), ERP systems (NetSuite, SAP), and MES/manufacturing execution systems

• Hands-on experience with MLOps tools, feature stores, and machine learning data pipelines

• Knowledge of DevOps/DataOps practices including CI/CD, infrastructure as code (Terraform, CloudFormation), and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)

• Experience with real-time streaming architectures and event-driven systems

• Familiarity with vector databases, knowledge graphs, and AI/LLM data architectures

• Understanding of dimensional modeling, data vault methodology, and modern data architecture patterns

• Experience with digital twin architectures or simulation data management

• Strong understanding of data security, compliance, and governance in regulated industries

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders

• Proven ability to balance strategic vision with tactical execution in fast-paced startup environments

• Track record of extreme ownership—proactively identifying problems and driving solutions to completion

• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time to other Vast facilities or vendor sites

• Willingness to work extended hours or weekends to support critical mission milestones and production launches

• Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State (export control requirement)