Staff Flight Sciences Tools Development Engineer

Socket.dev; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 163,000 - 228,000; Full time

Job summary

Archer Aviation in Silicon Valley seeks a senior tools engineer to design, build, and maintain analysis and simulation tools for flight dynamics, controls, and data pipelines. You will own the automated toolchain spanning desktop, HIL, and flight targets, leveraging MATLAB/Simulink.

Responsibilities include CI/CD for toolchains, HPC scaling for large Monte Carlo runs, and C/C++ integrations with external libraries. Collaboration across modeling, controls, and data teams is essential.

Qualifications

• BS in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical/Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field with at least 8 years of relevant experience; MS/PhD desirable.
• Strong foundation in GNC, flight dynamics, and controls concepts.
• Expert-level MATLAB, Python, and C/C++ tool development and integration.
• Experience with model-based design and Simulink.
• Proven CI/CD pipelines and automated testing for MATLAB/Simulink toolchains.
• HPC computing experience (Linux, Slurm, MATLAB Parallel Computing Toolbox).
• Experience with 6DOF or multi-body vehicle dynamics and state-space modeling.
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across teams.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain analysis and simulation tools for FD&C teams.
• Own automated toolchain across desktop, HIL, and flight targets with MATLAB/Simulink tools.
• Architect and maintain CI/CD workflows and automated testing for toolchains.
• Build HPC infrastructure and job scheduling for large-scale simulations.
• Manage software interfaces and data infrastructure between virtual vehicle simulations and downstream platforms.
• Develop C/C++ integrations to bring external code into MATLAB/Simulink.
• Package and release reusable tools with version control and agile practices.
• Collaborate across modeling, controls, and data teams to drive adoption.

Skills

GNC

Flight dynamics

Controls theory

MATLAB

Python

C/C++

Simulink

Model-based design

CI/CD

HPC

Education

BS in relevant field

MS/PhD desirable

Tools

GitHub Actions

GitLab Runner

TeamCity

Simulink Test

Slurm

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, Archer is a leader in the next-gen aerospace sector building an end-to-end advanced air mobility platform that delivers air taxis, unmanned aircraft systems(“UAS”), aviation-related physical artificial intelligence(“AI”) solutions, and other technologies to customers worldwide across the commercial aerospace and defense sectors.

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:

• Tools Development: Partner with the Flight Dynamics & Controls (FD&C) and GNC teams to design, build, and maintain the analysis and simulation tools they depend on, including aero parameter delivery pipelines, automated 6DOF plant model generation, trim and linearization utilities, and data reduction and validation tools.
• Toolchain Automation & Deployment: Own the automated toolchain that generates, builds, tests, and deploys MATLAB/Simulink models and analysis code across desktop simulation, Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL), and flight targets, working closely with the Platform embedded software team.
• CI/CD & Verification: Architect and maintain CI/CD workflows and automated regression and verification testing for models, data pipelines, and export workflows (GitHub Actions, GitLab Runner, TeamCity, Simulink Test), including test-vector generation for multi-dimensional lookup-table models.
• HPC & Scale: Build and scale High-Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure and job-scheduling workflows (e.g., Slurm) for large-scale 6DOF Monte Carlo simulations and batch regression testing.
• Data & Interfaces: Manage the software interfaces and data infrastructure between the “virtual vehicle” simulation and downstream platforms, including data dictionaries, schema-enforced databases, signal mapping, and Interface Control Documents (ICDs), and enable programmatic access for controls analysis workflows such as linear time-invariant (LTI) system analysis.
• Integration: Develop C/C++ integrations (S-functions, wrapper functions, and test harnesses) to bring compiled code and external libraries into the MATLAB/Simulink environment.
• Adoption & Best Practices: Package, document, and release reusable analysis tools, and drive engineering best practices, including version control, traceability, and iterative development (sprint planning, backlog management), across the modeling, controls, and data teams.
• Cross-Functional Multiplier: Flex across roles as program needs demand, contributing directly to vehicle simulation modeling, state-space and dynamics modeling, GNC integration, or physics tooling.

What you’ll need:

• Education & Experience: BS in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical/Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field with at least 8 years of relevant experience developing engineering analysis and simulation tools. MS or PhD desirable.
• Domain Foundation: Strong foundation in GNC, flight dynamics, and controls concepts, enabling you to speak the same language as the engineers whose tools you build.
• Tool Development: Expert-level proficiency developing and integrating custom analysis tools in MATLAB, Python, and C/C++.
• Model-Based Design: Strong experience with model-based design and simulation in Simulink.
• CI/CD: Proven experience designing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines and automated testing for MATLAB/Simulink toolchains.
• HPC: Experience with HPC computing (Linux, Slurm, MATLAB Parallel Computing Toolbox) for large-scale simulation.
• Dynamics & Modeling: Experience with 6DOF or multi-body vehicle dynamics simulation and state-space modeling.
• Core Competencies: Strong technical, written, and verbal communication skills with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced development environment.
• Ability to use, understand, and leverage modern LLMs and AI-based coding tools.

Bonus qualifications:

• Direct experience developing or verifying GNC or vehicle simulation systems in simulation or on hardware.
• eVTOL and/or rotorcraft experience.
• Experience with auto-code generation tools (Simulink Coder, Embedded Coder).
• Experience with Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) systems (e.g., Speedgoat, dSPACE, VeriStand).
• Experience developing test-stand and/or flight test data reduction and validation tooling.
• Familiarity with Model-Based Design certification standards (DO-331) or safety-critical software development (DO-178C).
• Experience packaging and containerizing simulation environments (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Proficiency with the Atlassian suite (Jira, Confluence) for technical documentation and agile workflow.

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 $162,800 - $227,600. 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.