Senior Airframe Design Engineer – Composite Structures

Archer; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Archer Aviation in San Jose, California, is building an all-electric four-passenger VTOL aircraft and seeks a senior structural engineer to lead major airframe assemblies from design through certification.

You will mentor peers, optimize for manufacturability, apply laminate design principles, and ensure FAA Part 23 compliance, while advancing lightweight structures for rapid, safe flight. The role requires deep CAD skills and a collaborative, fast-paced style.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience with lightweight structures (aircraft, spacecraft, other high performance vehicles).
• Bachelor's degree in an Engineering field.
• Ability to design and analyze simple components.
• A deep understanding of load paths and laminate design fundamentals.
• Strong CAD skills in NX (preferred), SolidWorks, Catia or Creo.
• Familiarity with PDM systems.
• Experience with the manufacturing of composite parts.
• Experience with analyzing and dispositioning non-conformances.
• Knowledge of FAA aircraft certification requirements for Part 23 aircraft
• Self-starter, team player, and desire to work in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of major structural airframe assemblies from preliminary design through certification, and manufacturing ramp up.
• Prioritize task allocation to other team members to achieve the schedule milestones.
• Apply in depth understanding of load paths, design best practices, and hand calcs to design robust structural configurations.
• Apply design for manufacturing concepts to create designs that are cost effective and easy to fabricate at rate. Preferred experience with composite sandwich construction and adhesive paste bonding.
• Develop company standards for composite and metallic part CAD models and drawings.
• Work closely with and mentor other engineers on the design, stress and M&P teams.
• Provide technical guidance on design concepts (risk vs. cost vs. performance).
• Support manufacturing to validate and verify that designs meet requirements and specifications.

Skills

Lightweight structures

NX CAD

SolidWorks

CATIA

Creo

PDM systems

Composite manufacturing

Non-conformance analysis

FAA Part 23 knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

FiberSim

Job description

Archer Aviation in San Jose, California, is building an all-electric four-passenger VTOL aircraft and seeks a senior structural engineer to lead major airframe assemblies from design through certification.

You will mentor peers, optimize for manufacturability, apply laminate design principles, and ensure FAA Part 23 compliance, while advancing lightweight structures for rapid, safe flight. The role requires deep CAD skills and a collaborative, fast-paced style.