Senior Program Manager, Flight Sciences

Archer; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 144,000 - 198,000; Full time

Job summary

Archer is an aerospace company in San Jose, California, building an all-electric VTOL aircraft for sustainable air mobility. The Senior Flight Sciences Program Manager will coordinate across Aerodynamics, Acoustics, Vehicle Performance, and Flight Simulation to ensure technical, schedule, and cost alignment for analysis, simulation, and test activities.

The role requires strong technical intuition and disciplined program execution in a fast-paced environment, with duties spanning planning,

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in program management or engineering roles.
• Experience in flight sciences disciplines supporting design, integration and test.
• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering.
• Experience distilling large information into executive communication.
• Proven cross-functional dependency management and complex scheduling.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain relationships across Flight Sciences, Engineering, Flight Test, and Supply Chain.
• Act as primary interface between Flight Sciences and stakeholders on deliverables and priorities.
• Own execution for assigned Flight Sciences scope and milestones.
• Plan and execute analysis, simulation, and test campaigns for vehicle development and certification.
• Develop schedules for simulation, aero/acoustic analyses, wind tunnel tests, and flight test correlation.
• Lead program kickoffs, reviews, and milestone/gate reviews; report progress.
• Drive supplier performance to meet contractual milestones in Flight Sciences.
• Identify and close program risks and opportunities focusing on performance and schedule.
• Present executive summaries and readiness metrics to senior leadership.

Skills

Schedule drivers

Critical paths

Cross-functional leadership

Executive communication

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelors in Aerospace or Mechanical Eng

Tools

Microsoft Project

Smartsheet

Jira

Confluence

Job description

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.

As aSenior Flight Sciences Program Manager, you will be responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing efforts across Archer's Flight Sciences organization, including Aerodynamics, Acoustics, Vehicle Performance and Flight Simulation, and Thermal Management, in close partnership with Engineering, Aircraft Integration, Flight Test, Program Management, and Supply Chain. This is a highly cross-functional role that ensures technical, schedule, and cost alignment for analysis, simulation, and test activities that directly enable vehicle performance, flight readiness, and certification.

This role requires strong technical intuition, disciplined program execution, and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, ambiguous development environment.

What You'll Do

• Build and maintain strong relationships across Archer teams, including Flight Sciences, Aircraft Integration, Engineering, Flight Test, Program Management, and Supply Chain.
• Act as the primary interface between Flight Sciences and cross-functional stakeholders on deliverables, priorities, issues, and resolution.
• Own execution for assigned Flight Sciences scope; aligning to program requirements and major milestones.
• Partner closely with Flight Sciences leadership and technical leads to plan and execute analysis, simulation, and test campaigns that support vehicle development, integration, and certification.
• Develop and maintain detailed, task-based schedules supporting simulation development, aero/acoustic analyses, wind tunnel testing, and flight test correlation activities.
• Lead program kickoffs, execution reviews, and milestone/gate reviews; track and report progress against the program management plan.
• Drive supplier performance within the flight sciences domain, ensuring all contractual milestones are met through strategic planning and proactive execution.
• Identify, manage, and drive closure of program Risks, Issues, and Opportunities, with particular focus on performance, correlation, and schedule risk.
• Prepare and present executive-level summaries, performance metrics, and readiness assessments to senior leadership.

What You Need

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in program management, technical program management, or engineering roles.
• Experience in flight sciences disciplines, including aerodynamics, flight simulation, thermal management and/or acoustics, and how they support aircraft design, integration, and flight test.
• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent degree.
• Experience successfully managing and driving complex, technically driven development programs and distilling large volumes of information into clear, executive-level communication.
• Proven experience managing cross-functional dependencies and technically complex schedules.
• Expertise in identifying schedule drivers and critical paths to optimize simulation and test workflows.
• Experience with Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or similar scheduling tools.
• Experience with Jira and Confluence for task tracking and collaborative documentation.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and re-prioritize deliverables in a fast-paced, evolving technical environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience in aerospace vehicle development, advanced air mobility, or test programs.
• Familiarity with flight test planning, simulation validation, and model-to-flight correlation.
• Experience supporting certification programs and performance compliance efforts.

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 $144,000 - $198,000. 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.

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