Manager, Aircraft Test & Automation Engineering

archer56; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 152,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Archer, an aerospace company based in San Jose, California, is engineering an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a mission to advance sustainable air mobility. The Manufacturing Engineering team leads end-of-line testing and oversees a high-performing group to ensure each aircraft meets performance and system-level standards before delivery or flight testing.

You will build and mentor two teams across Test Operations & Execution and Test Development & Design, drive

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering with 8+ years testing complex electromechanical hardware.
• 3+ years directly managing engineering teams, including team building and performance management.
• Experience developing and maintaining manufacturing and test documentation including work instructions, BOPs, and process standards.
• Background in designing, procuring, and qualifying test equipment, fixtures, and GSE, with CAPEX justification.
• Hands-on experience with test automation (Python, LabVIEW, TestStand), aircraft protocols (CAN, Ethernet, ARINC 429), and reading schematics.
• Experience supporting conformity and inspection activities for test operations.

Responsibilities

• Build and scale the organization: Lead two dedicated teams across Test Operations & Execution and Test Development & Design to support daily production and next-generation automation.
• Own the functional test lifecycle: Drive end-to-end testing across avionics, low- and high-voltage systems, managing ATP authoring and airworthiness records.
• Partner for testability: Collaborate with Design Engineering to implement Design for Testability and co-validate system test plans.
• Drive strategy and scaling: Establish the manufacturing test roadmap from LPI to full-rate production, optimizing capacity and cycle times.
• Deliver test infrastructure and automation: Lead design, capital planning, and qualification of test stands, fixtures, GSE, and automated test equipment.
• Champion the automation roadmap: Shift from manual testing to automated test equipment and data analytics to boost throughput.
• Cultivate team excellence: Hire and mentor test engineers and technicians, promoting rigor, safety, and cross-functional alignment.

Skills

Leadership

Test automation

Python

LabVIEW

TestStand

CAN

Ethernet

ARINC 429

Reading schematics

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, Aerospace, Software, or Manufacturing)

Tools

Python

LabVIEW

TestStand

CAN

Ethernet

ARINC 429

Job description

Archer, an aerospace company based in San Jose, California, is engineering an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a mission to advance sustainable air mobility. The Manufacturing Engineering team leads end-of-line testing and oversees a high-performing group to ensure each aircraft meets performance and system-level standards before delivery or flight testing.

You will build and mentor two teams across Test Operations & Execution and Test Development & Design, drive