Principal Airframe Architect

Archer; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 243,000 - 322,000; Full time

Job summary

Archer, an aerospace and defense company based in San Jose, California, seeks an experienced airframe engineer to lead development from concept to flight test. You will work with the Chief Engineer and program leaders to meet target requirements for innovative aircraft structures.

You will evaluate structural layouts, develop weight models for fuselage, wing, and other structures, size major components, and guide manufacturing and testing activities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
• In-depth understanding of load paths, laminate design fundamentals, metallic design fundamentals and analysis methods (FEA, hand calcs).
• Broad experience across fuselage, wing, pylons and empennage structures.
• Hands-on manufacturing experience with composites and machining of metallic parts.

Responsibilities

• Lead airframe development from concept through build and flight test with Chief Engineer and program leaders.
• Evaluate and trade structural layouts for weight, manufacturability, and cost.
• Develop airframe architecture and weight models for fuselage, wing, tail, and nacelle structures.
• Size major structural components using analytical methods or conceptual FEM.
• Apply design best practices and hand calcs to ensure robust, manufacturable configurations.
• Mentor junior engineers on design, analysis, and manufacturing techniques.
• Own validation and verification of airframe requirements.

Skills

15+ years of experience

Airframe design leadership

Load paths & laminate design

FEM/structural analysis

Material selection

Team mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

NX

SolidWorks

Catia

Creo

Job description

Archer is an aerospace and defense company headquartered in San Jose, California, building the aircraft and technology that will define the next era of flight. The company works across air taxis, UAS, AI and powertrain development — building real-world systems that combine software intelligence with physical hardware. That includes Midnight, Archer's all-electric air taxi; Halo, an autonomous vertical takeoff and landing aircraft built for both commercial and defense use; and ZEE, Archer's AI foundation model built specifically for aviation. We’re seeking exceptional engineers, operators and builders to join us on our mission to build the future of aerospace and defense.

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:

• Lead airframe development from concept through build and flight test, collaborating with the Chief Engineer and program leaders to meet target requirements.
• Evaluate and trade structural layouts and material selections across candidate configurations for weight, manufacturability, and cost.
• Develop conceptual airframe architecture and parametric structural weight models for fuselage, wing, tail, and nacelle structures.
• Size major structural components using classical analytical methods and/or conceptual FEM.
• Apply in depth understanding of load paths, design best practices, and hand calcs to design robust, manufacturable, and cost effective structural configurations.
• Mentor junior engineers on design, analysis, and manufacturing techniques.
• Own the validation and verification of airframe requirements.

What you need:

• 15+ years of experience with innovative aircraft structures, including leadership within a recent civil or military aircraft development program.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering
• In depth understanding of load paths, laminate design fundamentals, metallic design fundamentals and analysis methods (FEA, closed form solutions for sandwich panel stability, lug and fastener hand calcs, etc.)
• Broad experience across a range of airframe structures (fuselage, wing, pylons, empennage)
• Strong CAD skills in NX (preferred), Solidworks, Catia or Creo
• Hands-on manufacturing experience with composites (wet-lay, prepreg, autoclave, bonding, drilling/fastening) and machining metallic parts (milling, lathe, drilling).
• Experience with analyzing and dispositioning non-conformances
• Self-starter, team player, and desire to work in a fast-paced environment

At Archer, we aim to attract, retain, and motivate talent with the skills and leadership needed to grow our business. We drive a pay-for-performance culture and reward performance that supports the Company’s strategy. For this position, we are targeting a base pay range of $242,800 - $322,100. Actual compensation offered will be determined by 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 [e-mail]. Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Information collected and processed as part of any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Archer's Candidate Privacy Policy.

Certain positions may be eligible for visa sponsorship.

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 [e-mail]. All employment processes are managed by the Archer People Team.