Staff Project Engineer - Rotors and Blades

Socket.dev; New Haven (CT); On-site; USD 138,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Archer Aviation in Silicon Valley seeks a seasoned engineer to generate and review CAD drawings, specifications, and quality plans for a next-gen aerospace platform. You will support development tests from fabrication through flight hardware and collaborate with design to ensure manufacturability.

Travel to test sites and suppliers is expected, with a strong emphasis on root-cause analysis and documentation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or related technical field
• 12+ years of hands-on aerospace manufacturing experience
• 8+ years on development or prototype programs
• Experience in tactical project engineering and leadership including supplier management
• Proficiency interpreting engineering drawings, GD&T, and manufacturing process specifications
• Experience working with CAD systems
• Ability to read and produce fabrication and assembly plans
• Familiarity with aerospace quality systems (AS9100, FAA Part 21/145 environments)
• Strong mechanical troubleshooting aptitude and structured problem-solving approach

Responsibilities

• Generate, review, and edit engineering CAD drawings, process specifications, and quality plans
• Support development test campaigns through fabrication to flight hardware
• Work with design team to ensure manufacturability and modify designs as required
• Develop fabrication and assembly plans and strategies
• Assist with fabrication of large-scale hardware and test facilities
• Troubleshoot non-conformances and drive root-cause resolution
• Travel to test sites, supplier facilities, and customer locations for support
• Maintain clean records and reports for future efforts

Skills

CAD drawings interpretation

GD&T interpretation

Manufacturing process specs

Supplier management

Project engineering

Leadership

Aerospace manufacturing

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering

Bachelor’s degree in engineering management

Tools

CAD systems

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:

• Generate, review, and/or edit engineering CAD and drawings, process specifications, and quality plans
• Support development test campaigns — including fabrication of ground test articles and other test specimens as well as flight hardware — through all phases from raw fabrication through post-processing and NDI
• Work with the design team to ensure manufacturability, and create or modify designs when required.
• Work with the team to develop fabrication and assembly plans and strategies
• Assist with the fabrication of large-scale hardware and test facilities.
• Troubleshoot manufacturing non-conformances, process anomalies, and test anomalies in collaboration with engineering; disposition discrepancies and drive root cause resolution
• Travel to test sites, supplier facilities, and customer locations to provide direct fabrication and assembly support.
• Maintain clean records and reports to assist with future efforts

What You Need:

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, engineering management, or a related technical field
• 12+ years of hands‑on experience in aerospace manufacturing with a minimum of 8 years on development or prototype programs
• Experience in tactical project engineering and leadership including supplier management
• Proficiency interpreting engineering drawings, GD&T, and manufacturing process specifications
• Experience working with CAD systems
• Ability to read and produce fabrication and assembly plans
• Familiarity with special processes and/or NDI methods
• Familiarity with aerospace quality systems (AS9100, FAA Part 21/145 environments)
• Strong mechanical troubleshooting aptitude and structured problem‑solving approach

Bonus Qualifications:

• Experience operating or working in a prototype or model shop: CNC machining, manual lathe/mill, waterjet, wire/plunge EDM
• Expertise in composite structures — wet layup, prepreg, autoclave cure, out-of-autoclave processes, and secondary bonding
• Familiarity with eVTOL, UAV, or other novel aircraft development environments
• Experience with structural test article build and instrumentation

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 $138,200 - $190,100. Actual compensation offered will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

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.