Staff Technical Program Manager Powertrain Operations

Archer; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 248,000 - 261,000; Full time

Job summary

Archer is seeking a Staff Technical Program Manager for Powertrain Operations in San Jose, CA. You will lead cross-functional hardware and software programs from concept through production, coordinating Design Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Test, and Supply Chain to meet milestones and budgets.

Responsibilities include managing phase gates, driving initiatives, mitigating risks, and delivering readiness for SOP.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Engineering Management, Mechanical, Electrical or Aerospace Engineering.
• 7+ years of technical program management and manufacturing execution in high-tech hardware.
• Experience with aerospace, automotive, or robotics industries is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, coordination, and execution of complex hardware and software programs from concept to production.
• Oversee program operations across Design Eng., Manufacturing, Quality, Test, Supply Chain, and Software.
• Manage phase gates: Concept Freeze, Design Freeze, EVT, PRR, SOP.
• Define and drive initiatives balancing resources, performance, quality, and schedule.
• Identify risks and control changes to scope, schedule, and budget.
• Develop schedules, KPIs, and dashboards with Smartsheet, JIRA, Confluence, and Excel.
• Drive continuous improvement in program management processes.
• Direct critical path and resource allocation to ensure predictable delivery.
• Coordinate readiness and ramp-up for new products: manufacturing line, supply chain, quality.
• Support cross-domain AI, autonomy, robotics, and software-driven hardware integration.

Skills

Technical Program Management

Cross-functional leadership

Program risk management

Operations leadership

Education

Master’s degree in Engineering Management

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Tools

Smartsheet

JIRA

Confluence

Excel

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.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of complex, cross-functional hardware and software programs from concept through production, ensuring alignment with company objectives, schedules, and budgets.
• Oversee program operations across Design Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Test, Supply Chain, and Software teams to achieve technical and business milestones.
• Establish and manage relationships with internal stakeholders and external suppliers to ensure readiness for key phase gates, including Concept Freeze, Design Freeze, Engineering Validation (EVT), Production Readiness Review (PRR), and Start of Production (SOP).
• Define and drive technical and business initiatives critical to program success, balancing resource constraints with performance, quality, and time-to-market targets.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate program risks while managing changes to scope, schedule, and budget through structured change control processes.
• Develop and maintain program schedules, KPIs, and dashboards using tools such as Smartsheet, JIRA, Confluence, and Excel, providing executive-level reporting and decision-support data.
• Implement continuous improvement practices across program management processes, enhancing operational efficiency, quality, and delivery performance.
• Direct the critical path and resource allocation to resolve execution challenges and recover from deviations, ensuring predictable delivery.
• Coordinate operational readiness and production ramp-up for new products, including manufacturing line readiness, supply chain readiness, and quality system validation.
• Support cross-domain projects in AI, autonomy, robotics, and software-driven hardware integration, ensuring compatibility with overall product architecture and lifecycle requirements.

Minimum Education Requirement: Master’s degree in Engineering Management, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering.

Minimum Experience Requirement: Technical Program Manager – Hardware, Manufacturing Program Manager, Operations Program Manager, Hardware Engineering Program Manager, Powertrain Program Manager, Product Development Program Manager – Hardware, Systems Integration Program Manager, Engineering Program Manager, Technical Program Manager NPI, or NPI Operations Program Manager in which 5 years of experience in technical program management, operations program leadership, and manufacturing execution within high-tech hardware industries in aerospace, or automotive, or robotics was gained.

Alternate Education Requirement: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Management, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering.

Alternate Experience Requirement: Technical Program Manager – Hardware, Manufacturing Program Manager, Operations Program Manager, Hardware Engineering Program Manager, Powertrain Program Manager, Product Development Program Manager – Hardware, Systems Integration Program Manager, Engineering Program Manager, Technical Program Manager NPI, or NPI Operations Program Manager in which 7 years of experience in technical program management, operations program leadership, and manufacturing execution within high-tech hardware industries in aerospace, or automotive, or robotics was gained.

Travel Required: 10% domestic travel required.

For this position we are offering $248,186.00 to $260,595.00 per year.

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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.

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