Aerodynamics Engineer

Archer is an aerospace and defense company headquartered in San Jose, California, building the aircraft and technology that will define the next era of flight. The company works across air taxis, UAS, AI and powertrain development — building real-world systems that combine software intelligence with physical hardware. That includes Midnight, Archer's all-electric air taxi; Halo, an autonomous vertical takeoff and landing aircraft built for both commercial and defense use; and ZEE, Archer's AI foundation model built specifically for aviation. We’re seeking exceptional engineers, operators and builders to join us on our mission to build the future of aerospace and defense.

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:

Perform and oversee low/mid/high fidelity aerodynamic simulations of Archer eVTOL aircraft

Lead the aerodynamic design and optimization of aircraft OML components to maximize performance and efficiency

Architect linear, non-linear, and real-time aerodynamic models to predict aircraft behavior, performance, stability, and control

Analyze flight test and wind tunnel data to identify model discrepancies, validating and improving vehicle aerodynamic models

Develop efficient methods to integrate flight test data back into aerodynamic simulation models of various fidelities and complexities

Contribute to the development of Archer aerodynamic software stack, improving methods and workflows

Partner with flight test pilots and multidisciplinary teams to resolve complex modelling issues and update flight simulators

What you need:

BS / MS / PhD in Aerospace Engineering or a related field

10+ years of experience with BS, or 8+ years of experience with MS, or 4+ years of experience with PhD modeling rotorcraft, tiltrotor, eVTOL aerodynamics at full-vehicle level

Expert level understanding of fixed-wing and rotorcraft aerodynamics, performance, and stability & control

Proven experience with gradient-based and gradient-free optimization techniques

Experience with aerodynamic design of airfoils, wings, control surfaces or similar.

Experience with surrogate modeling techniques (Kriging, Neural Networks or similar) for aerodynamic modeling and design

Advanced Python proficiency

Experience with software development tools and best practices: version control (Git), software testing, environment management, CI/CD

Experience with experimental data processing and reduction techniques

Excellent work planning and issue resolution skills

Exceptional technical communication and the ability to drive results in a high-velocity, collaborative design environment

Bonus Qualifications:

Experience in eVTOL and/or multicopter vehicle aerodynamics design and analysis, including 6 DoF vehicle trim and transition corridor optimization

Experience with wind tunnel campaigns planning, execution, and data processing

Experience with flight test data processing and SysID data ingestion

Work experience with rotorcraft comprehensive analysis tools, such as RCAS or CAMRAD2

Experience utilizing high-performance computing (HPC) to parallelize workflows

Familiarity with conventional airplane Part 23/25 or rotorcraft Part 27/29 certification basis and test methods

Familiarity with ASTM standards for fixed wing and rotorcraft

Familiarity with Matlab/Simulink, and Fortran/C++ coding

At Archer we aim to attract, retain, and motivate talent that possess the skills and leadership necessary to grow our business. We drive a pay-for-performance culture and reward performance that supports the Company’s business strategy. For this position we are targeting a base pay between $160,000 - $220,000. Actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as 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 [email protected] . 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.

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 [email protected] . All employment processes are managed by the Archer People Team.