Director, Agency Crew Sales

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 Director, Agency Crew Sales, reporting to the SVP of Product and Business Development. As a Director of Agency Crew Sales, you will act as a first point of contact for potential customers of private crew on Vast space stations with a concentration on sovereign space agencies. You will work closely with technical engineering teams to understand and communicate the capabilities of our product lines to the prospective customer base. The role requires personal drive to identify opportunities, develop the necessary relationships, and ultimately execute contracts that will define the trajectory of Vast.

This will be a full-time, exempt position located on-site at our Long Beach, CA location.

Responsibilities

• Manage customer contract execution, from initial customer contact through completion of the mission.
• Manage and maintain internal sales tools and dashboards.
• Collaborate with the Communications & Marketing team in creating marketing materials and strategic communications.
• Remain up-to-date on the latest space station systems’ competitive landscape and market, determine pricing, and formulate strategic direction.
• Expand business opportunities and nurture relationships with existing customers.
• Develop and present bid/no-bid strategies, and manage proposal planning, preparation, and submission.
• Organize and conduct customer development activities such as customer meetings, facility tours and product demonstrations.
• Represent Vast at public events such as industry conferences and speaking engagements.
  
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in engineering or science discipline.
• 5 years of experience in a sales or program management role in the aerospace, space or hard tech industry.
  
  
  

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Master’s degree in an engineering or science discipline.
• Experience in crafting presentations which includes building out compelling storylines, presenting data to audiences, and pushing the key messages.
• Strong ability to prioritize and successfully drive a sale or project from beginning to end and to work across multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to thrive in a startup environment with the ingenuity to define and implement efficient processes for effective work execution in a matrixed cross-functional environment.
• Self-motivated and creative solutions-focused mentality.
• Passion for the space industry and changing “business-as-usual” paradigms.
• Possess a strong understanding of business-to-business sales processes, best practices, pipeline management, and technical proposal writing.
• Ability to discuss technical systems and practical applications to a variety of audiences.
• Ability to draft, review and produce large commercial and government proposals with a matrixed team
• Ability to make independent judgments with limited information
• Logical and strategic approach to solving problems
• Comfortable working in a high-stress environment balancing several projects at any given time, and the flexibility to adjust for abrupt changes in strategic direction.
  
  
  

Additional Requirements

• Ability to travel up to 30% of the time
  
  
  

Salary Range: California

$164,000—$220,000 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.