Staff Airframe/Systems Thermal Engineer

Archer; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Archer Aviation seeks a Staff Thermal Engineer to lead thermal design for eVTOL airframe and vehicle systems in San Jose. You will develop cooling solutions using CFD/FEA, validate models with test data, and collaborate across Aerodynamics, Airframe, Avionics, and Battery teams to ensure performance and safety.

The role requires 5+ years in aerospace thermal analysis, strong heat transfer knowledge, and experience with CFD/FEA tools. BS/MS/PhD and Python/Matlab skills are preferred.

Qualifications

• BS/MS/PhD in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years in thermal analysis/design within aerospace/automotive industries.
• Strong heat transfer knowledge and application in aerospace/auto systems.
• Experience with CFD/FEA tools such as NASA Overflow, Fun3D, StarCCM+, Ansys Fluent, Nastran.
• Experience with thermal testing and data correlation.
• Familiarity with aerospace design principles, materials, and manufacturing.
• Python or Matlab/Simulink programming experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Perform detailed thermal analysis of airframe and systems.
• Develop thermal management solutions for composite structures.
• Design and optimize cooling for actuators, avionics, and power systems.
• Run parametric studies and sensitivity analyses on thermal design.
• Develop and validate CFD/FEA models for thermal scenarios.
• Support test campaigns and data correlation for model validation.
• Collaborate with Aerodynamics, Airframe, Flight Control, and other teams.

Skills

Thermal analysis

CFD

FEA

Python

Matlab/Simulink

Heat transfer

Aerospace applications

Education

BS / MS / PhD in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering

Tools

NASA Overflow/Fun3D

StarCCM+

Ansys Fluent

Abacus

Nastran

NX/CATIA/SolidWorks

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.

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Staff Thermal Engineer to join our Thermal Management Team within the Flight Sciences organization. This role will be a key contributor to the thermal design, analysis, and optimization of our eVTOL aircraft, with a specific focus on airframe thermal management, as well as the thermal behavior of various vehicle systems and LRUs. The successful candidate will play a critical role in ensuring optimal thermal performance, safety, and reliability across the aircraft.

What you’ll do:

• Perform detailed thermal analysis of the airframe, considering external heating, solar radiation, internal heat sources, and insulation
• Develop and implement thermal management solutions for airframe composite structures to mitigate thermal stress, manage material temperatures limits, and maintain structural integrity
• Design and optimize cooling solutions (e.g. forced and/or natural convection, heat pipes, liquid cooling etc.) for aircraft systems and LRUs, including but not limited to actuators, flight control, avionics, and electrical distribution systems, to ensure operation within specified temperature limits in accordance with the vehicle design envelope
• Perform parametric studies and sensitivity analyses to optimize thermal design of aircraft structure as well as vehicle systems and LRUs
• Develop, refine, and use advanced CFD and FEA models to simulate complex thermal scenarios and validate design assumptions
• Support the planning and execution of test campaigns at component, system, and aircraft levels to collect data for thermal models correlation and validation
• Collaborate closely with Aerodynamics, Airframe, Flight Control, Actuation, Avionics, Propulsion, Battery, and Manufacturing teams to develop and integrate thermal solutions and address interdependences
• Participate in design reviews, document analysis results, design recommendations, and contribute to technical reports

What you need:

• BS / MS / PhD in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering or a related field

• 5+ years of experience in thermal analysis and design within the aerospace or automotive industry
• Strong understanding of heat transfer fundamentals (conduction, convection, radiation) and their application in aerospace and/or automotive systems
• Demonstrated experience with thermal management of aerospace structures and/or high-power density systems and LRUs
• Demonstrated experience with CFD and FEA software packages (e.g. NASA Overflow and/or Fun3D CFD solvers, StarCCM+, Ansys Fluent and Thermal analysis packages, Abacus, Nastran)
• Demonstrated experience with thermal testing and test-data correlation
• Familiarity with aerospace design principles, materials, and manufacturing processes
• Familiarity in Python programming (strongly preferred) or Matlab/Simulink programming coding experience

• Excellent work planning and issue resolution skills
• Strong technical, written, and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work in groups and individually
• Experience in a fast-paced design environment

Bonus Qualifications:

• Experience with eVTOLs or other electric aircraft or automotive programs
• Familiarity with thermal management of high-voltage battery systems and electric motors
• Familiarity with thermal management of avionics and power electronics
• Experience with CAD modeling systems (e.g . NX, CATIA, Solidworks)
• Experience with gradient-based and gradient-free optimization techniques
• Experience with surrogate modeling techniques and statistical analysis
• Experience with system-level lab or wind tunnel testing as well as vehicle-level testing (ideally flight test experience). Experience with test campaign planning, execution, and data processing
• Experience with experimental data processing and reduction techniques
• Experience with software development, object-oriented, version control best practices, as well as Git, CICD, Conda
• Experience utilizing high-performance computing (HPC) to parallelize workflows

• Familiarity with conventional airplane Part 23/25 or rotorcraft Part 27/29 certification basis and test methods

At Archer we aim to attract, retain, and motivate talent that possess the skills and leadership necessary to grow our business. We drive a pay-for-performance culture and reward performance that supports the Company’s business strategy. For this position we are targeting a base pay between $180,000 - $210,000. Actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as 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.