Associate Creative Director, Brand & Design

Vast is developing next-generation space stations and space infrastructure using an incremental, hardware-rich, and low-cost approach. Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station to ensure a 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. Haven Demo’s 2025 success made Vast the only operational commercial space station company to fly and operate its own spacecraft.

Next, Haven-1 is expected to become the world’s first commercial space station when it launches in 2027, followed by additional Haven modules. Additionally, the company recently announced Vast Satellite, a high-power satellite product line leveraging its space station components and the heritage of Haven Demo.

Headquartered in Long Beach, California, and with more than 1,000 employees and over a billion dollars in private capital, Vast has built the facilities required to manufacture and operate America’s next space station. The company plans to develop future habitats and systems for the Moon and Mars, dedicated space stations for government partners, and other crewed systems that will unlock the expanding long-term space economy.

Vast is looking for an Associate Creative Director, Brand & Design, reporting to the Senior Director, Brand Design, to help build and protect the creative standard for how Vast shows up in the world. You'll be in the work every day: designing, art directing, and solving creative problems directly, while giving clear direction to a small team and mentoring the people on it.

You help shape the creative direction for key brand moments, then roll up your sleeves to make the work great.

This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location. Responsibilities:
Own and evolve Vast's brand design standards, and make sure the work coming out of the team meets them every day, not just at major launches

Manage a team of designers day-to-day: give feedback in real time, run reviews, and set clear direction on what good looks like

Jump into the work yourself, sketching, editing, designing, when that's the fastest way to get something over the barLead creative work from concept through final execution across brand initiatives, campaigns, and key company moments

Translate business goals and technical complexity into creative direction the team can actually run with Partner with marketing, comms, product, engineering, and business teams to spot where design can move the needle, and follow through on it Mentor designers on craft and judgment, not just process, help them get better at knowing what to cut Present creative direction to stakeholders, and hold the line on quality when there's pressure to compromise

Keep a real pulse on how AI is changing design and production workflows, and bring that into how the team actually works

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience8+ years of experience in brand, design, art direction, or a related creative discipline (e.g., brand design, digital design, visual communications, integrated marketing), with a proven track record of producing high-quality work yourselfA strong portfolio that demonstrates hands-on craft across multiple channels and audiences, with a clear pull toward innovative, simple, and technically-minded work Experience working in a fast-paced environment, and genuinely enjoying the pace, volume, and ambiguity that come with it Experience managing a small design team: giving clear creative direction while staying deeply hands-on in the work itselfA natural people mentor who develops direct reports and helps them grow their craft and…