Staff Project Engineer - Rotors and Blades

Archer Aviation Inc.; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 163,000 - 228,000; Full time

Job summary

Archer Aviation Inc. is seeking an experienced aerospace manufacturing professional in California to lead development and prototype fabrication efforts.

You will review CAD drawings, create/process specs, and collaborate with design to ensure manufacturability while building large-scale hardware and test facilities. The role requires 12+ years of hands-on aerospace experience, strong problem-solving, and supplier management skills.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of hands-on experience in aerospace manufacturing
• 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 AS9100/FAA environments and NDI methods

Responsibilities

• Generate, review, and edit engineering CAD drawings, process specs and quality plans
• Support development test campaigns from raw fabrication through post-processing and NDI
• Collaborate with design to ensure manufacturability and modify designs when 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

Aerospace manufacturing

GD&T

CAD systems

Root cause analysis

Supplier management

Engineering drawings interpretation

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or related

Tools

CAD software

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 $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.