Hybrid-Electric Powertrain Architect for Next-Gen eVTOL

Engg; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 173,000 - 238,000; Full time

Job summary

Archer, an aerospace and defense innovator based in San Jose, seeks a Powertrain Architect to size and integrate a next-gen hybrid-electric propulsion system for an eVTOL, collaborating with vehicle and structures teams.

You will trade architectures, size motors and thermal systems, model battery behavior, and build powertrain models for Archer's vehicle-level MDO stack, contributing to overall performance.

Qualifications

• Background in hybrid-electric, turbo-electric, or conventional turbine aircraft propulsion.
• Experience with multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO).
• Experience in at least two areas: electromagnetic sizing of motors/generators; thermal management system sizing; battery modeling.
• Proficiency with electromagnetic design tools such as ANSYS Maxwell, Motor-CAD, JMAG, or similar is desired.
• Proficiency with thermal/CFD design tools such as ANSYS Icepak, Fluent, or similar is desired.
• Strong Python proficiency for powertrain modeling and trade studies is strongly preferred.
• Turboshaft/turbine integration experience is desired.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and trade hybrid-electric powertrain architectures (series, parallel, turbo-electric), integrating battery energy storage and electric motors/inverters, with a turboshaft-driven generator as one configuration.
• Size electric motors and generators from first principles, validating designs with electromagnetic solvers as needed.
• Size the thermal management system architecture for all major powertrain components, using thermal/CFD tools.
• Generate performance and efficiency maps for electric motors and generators across the operating envelope.
• Model battery charge and discharge behavior to inform sizing and duty-cycle decisions.
• Estimate thermal limits and duty cycles for motors, inverters, and batteries across representative mission profiles.
• Build powertrain models suitable for integration into Archer's vehicle-level MDO stack.
• Collaborate with structures and vehicle architects on packaging, weight, and integration of the full powertrain stack.

Skills

Hybrid-electric propulsion

Turbo-electric propulsion

Electromagnetic sizing

Thermal management sizing

Battery modeling

Powertrain modeling

Python proficiency

Turboshaft integration

Aerospace propulsion background

Education

Aerospace engineering degree

Tools

ANSYS Maxwell

Motor-CAD

JMAG

ANSYS Icepak

Fluent

Job description

Archer, an aerospace and defense innovator based in San Jose, seeks a Powertrain Architect to size and integrate a next-gen hybrid-electric propulsion system for an eVTOL, collaborating with vehicle and structures teams.

You will trade architectures, size motors and thermal systems, model battery behavior, and build powertrain models for Archer's vehicle-level MDO stack, contributing to overall performance.