Vehicle Architect — Conceptual Sizing

Archer; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 173,000 - 238,000; Full time

Job summary

Archer, based in San Jose, is advancing all-electric VTOL aircraft for sustainable air mobility. The Vehicle Architect will own the conceptual sizing, drive MDO optimization, and coordinate inputs from structures, powertrain, and aerodynamics to enable mission-driven designs.

Required are strong Python and MDO framework skills, proven aircraft sizing experience, and ability to work with customers and partners to shape missions and design drivers. Base pay ranges from $172,800 to $237,600.

Qualifications

• Strong proficiency in Python for production-quality analytics.
• Experience sizing actual aircraft and driving vehicle-level sizing.
• Experience integrating multidisciplinary inputs into a single sizing model.
• Familiarity with surrogate modeling techniques and HPC workflows.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain vehicle-level conceptual sizing and optimization models.
• Lead configuration trade studies across missions and use cases.
• Integrate inputs from structures, powertrain, aerodynamics into an optimization framework.
• Present trade studies and sizing rationale to customers/partners.
• Own mass properties rollup, sizing convergence, and margins across the concept.
• Support proposals, technical volumes, and program reviews.

Skills

Python

OpenMDAO

Aircraft sizing

MDO integration

Surrogate modeling

HPC analysis

Geometry param

Communication

MIL/FAR knowledge

Tools

OpenMDAO

AeroSandbox

SUAVE

GPkit

Dymos

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.

THE ROLE

As Vehicle Architect, you will own the overall conceptual sizing and configuration of a next-generation aircraft. You'll build and run the optimization models and tools that translate mission and customer inputs into a converged, weight- and performance-closed vehicle. You'll integrate inputs from the structures, powertrain, and aerodynamics architects into a unified sizing and optimization framework, lead configuration trade studies, and work directly with customers and partners to help shape missions around their needs.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Build and maintain the vehicle-level conceptual sizing and optimization models and tools that translate mission and use-case inputs into vehicle-level sizing parameters (e.g. MTOW, empty weight, disk/wing loading, installed power).
• Own and evolve Archer's vehicle-level conceptual sizing and MDO methodology, integrating models from structures, powertrain, aerodynamics, and other disciplines into a unified optimization framework.
• Lead configuration trade studies across different use cases and missions, trading performance, weight, cost, and producibility.
• Work with product, systems engineering, and customers to help shape missions around customer needs, translating use cases into vehicle-level design drivers; support requirements definition.
• Own the vehicle mass properties rollup, sizing convergence loop, and margin management across the concept.
• Serve as a key technical point of contact with customers and partners; presenting trade studies, sizing rationale, and vehicle performance, and incorporating their feedback into updated mission assumptions.
• Support technical volumes, cost estimates, and schedule inputs for proposals and program/customer reviews.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• Strong proficiency in Python is required, including building and maintaining production-quality analysis and optimization tools.
• Strong proficiency with multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) frameworks is required, for example OpenMDAO, AeroSandbox, SUAVE, GPkit, Dymos, or similar.
• Demonstrated experience sizing actual aircraft that have flown.
• Experience integrating multi-disciplinary inputs (aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, mass properties) into an overall vehicle sizing and optimization model. The ideal candidate would have experience in two or more of the following
• Experience with rotor and/or propeller aerodynamic and structural sizing.
• Experience with hybrid-electric powertrain sizing and configuration trades.
• Experience with electric propulsion systems (motors, inverters, batteries).
• Experience with conventional piston or turboshaft propulsion integration.
• Experience with payload and sensor integration (e.g., mission equipment, payloads, cargo).
• Familiarity with eVTOL, tiltrotor, or rotorcraft configurations and their unique sizing drivers.
• Experience with surrogate modeling techniques (e.g., interpolants, radial basis functions, Gaussian process regression, neural networks).
• Experience running analyses on high-performance computing (HPC) resources.
• Experience with geometry parameterization for conceptual design (e.g., parametric OML and/or structural geometry generation).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable presenting trade studies to both technical and customer/partner audiences.
• Familiarity with MIL specs and/or FARs.

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 $172,800 - $237,600. 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 [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.