Senior Propulsion Electronics Architect - Flight Controller

Archer; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 171,000 - 226,000; Full time

Job summary

Archer, based in San Jose, CA, seeks a Staff Electrical Engineer for the Propulsion Electronics Team to lead architecture and design of mission-critical controller boards for electric engines and generators. You will drive MCUs, power design, and multi-protocol interfaces in a safety-critical environment.

You will mentor engineers, collaborate across teams, and oversee validation to meet performance, EMC, and certification requirements in pursuit of reliable, flight-ready propulsion systems.

Qualifications

• Electrical Engineering Degree or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years experience in complex electronics and control system design.
• Proven expertise in architecting microcontroller-based control systems from concept to production.
• Deep knowledge of low-voltage power design, analog signal conditioning, and communication protocols including CAN and Ethernet.
• Experience designing fault-tolerant, redundant electronics for safety-critical applications.
• Strong understanding of PCBA design for EMC/EMI mitigation, signal integrity, and thermal management.
• Demonstrated technical leadership and ability to mentor engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Own the technical roadmap and architecture for engine and generator controller boards from concept through flight certification.
• Drive microcontroller selection, processing architecture, and memory management to meet real-time performance and safety requirements.
• Design low-voltage power distribution trees, precision analog signal conditioning circuits, and sensor interfaces for temperature, current, voltage, position, and vibration sensing in harsh environments.
• Architect and validate multi-protocol communication systems including CAN, Ethernet, SPI, I2C, and UART for integration with aircraft subsystems.
• Develop fault detection, isolation, and recovery logic in hardware to ensure fail-safe operation and meet functional safety requirements.
• Serve as technical authority for controller design, leading design reviews, mentoring engineers, and ensuring best practices for reliability and manufacturability.
• Collaborate with firmware, power electronics, mechanical, systems, and safety teams to integrate controllers into the propulsion system.
• Develop and execute validation plans using simulation and testing to meet performance, EMC, and certification requirements.

Skills

Engineering leadership

System architecture

Microcontroller design

Power electronics

Signal integrity

EMC/EMI mitigation

Thermal management

Safety-critical design

PCB design

Mentoring engineers

Education

Electrical Engineering Degree

Tools

DO-160G testing

DO-254 development

PCB design tools

Job description

Archer, based in San Jose, CA, seeks a Staff Electrical Engineer for the Propulsion Electronics Team to lead architecture and design of mission-critical controller boards for electric engines and generators. You will drive MCUs, power design, and multi-protocol interfaces in a safety-critical environment.

You will mentor engineers, collaborate across teams, and oversee validation to meet performance, EMC, and certification requirements in pursuit of reliable, flight-ready propulsion systems.