Chief Engineer – Airframe

Archer is an aerospace company based in San Jose, California building an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a mission to advance the benefits of sustainable air mobility. We are designing, manufacturing, and operating an all-electric aircraft that can carry four passengers while producing minimal noise.

Our sights are set high and our problems are hard, and we believe that diversity in the workplace is what makes us smarter, drives better insights, and will ultimately lift us all to success. We are dedicated to cultivating an equitable and inclusive environment that embraces our differences, and supports and celebrates all of our team members.

What you’ll do:

• Ensure the airframe meets weight, cost, manufacturing, safety, and certification requirements
• Drive multi-disciplinary trade studies to arrive at actionable design solutions
• Establish airframe design and analysis best practices
• Lead airframe design reviews throughout the development process
• Review structural analysis results
• Review structural test plans for development, safety of flight, and certification tests
• Act as the primary technical point of contact with key suppliers

What you need:

• BS, MS, or PhD in Aerospace Engineering or a related field
• 10+ years of experience with a BS, or 8+ years of experience with a MS, or 5+ years of experience with a PhD designing aircraft and/or rotorcraft
• Background in aircraft and/or rotorcraft structural design, including damage tolerance
• Demonstrated experience designing production parts on certified aircraft
• Experience with the integration of complex systems into an airframe (e.g. electromechanical actuators, hydraulics, fly-by-wire)
• Comfortable with structural analysis from hand calcs through finite element analysis
• Experience with loads and aeroelastic analysis
• Familiar with 14 CFR Part 23 or 27 and their associated means of compliance
• Strong technical, written, and verbal communication skills
• Experience establishing or improving engineering processes
• Experience in a fast-paced design environment

Bonus Qualifications:

• Understanding of fixed-wing and rotorcraft aerodynamics
• Structural design to meet electromagnetic effects requirements (HIRF, Lightning)
• Familiarity with battery energy storage systems and electric propulsion systems
• eVTOL design experience up through flight testing of full-scale prototypes
• Experience with aircraft operating and production cost modeling
• Experience with rotor dynamics simulation

At Archer we aim to attract, retain, and motivate talent that possess the skills and leadership necessary to grow our business. We drive a pay-for-performance culture and reward performance that supports the Company’s business strategy. For this position we are targeting a base pay between $268,800 – $336,000. Actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Archer is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to job applicants with physical or mental disabilities, and those with sincerely held religious beliefs. Applicants who may require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should provide their name and contact information to Archer’s People Team at [email protected]. Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Archer is unable to provide work visa sponsorship for this position at the present time.

Archer is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. All aspects of employment are decided on the basis of merit, qualifications, and business needs. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Archer Aviation does not engage with external recruiting agencies/individual recruiters with whom it does not have a prior written agreement. Archer reserves the right to make use of any unsolicited resumes that it receives and bears no responsibility for payment of any fees asserted from the use of unsolicited resumes. If you are a recruiting agency or individual recruiter wishing to do business with Archer, please reach out to [email protected]. All employment processes are managed by the Archer People Team.