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Salary: USD 138,200 - 190,100 / annual
Archer is an aerospace company building all-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for sustainable air mobility. The Special Programs team is a rapid-prototyping, cross-functional engineering group supporting advanced and defense-focused development efforts.
In this role, you will lead mission systems engineering for prototype vehicles, bringing deep expertise in defining and integrating payloads, sensors, and mission equipment. You'll own the mission systems discipline within Special Programs, setting technical approaches, standards, and integration methods across the program's work.
Key responsibilities include:
- Lead mission systems design, requirements definition, and integration for prototype vehicles, including payload and sensor integration, mission equipment packaging, and operator interfaces
- Support rapid prototyping end-to-end, from concept mission architecture through integration, ground test, and flight test support
- Conduct technical feasibility assessments of new opportunities, evaluating whether emerging concepts, RFPs, or mission requirements are viable
- Serve as a cross-functional technical contributor across Special Programs efforts when program needs require it
- Collaborate with program leads, other engineers, and broader Archer teams to align technical approaches with timelines and constraints
- Produce technical documentation, trade studies, and analysis packages supporting design reviews and opportunity decisions
- Represent Special Programs work in internal reviews and discussions with government stakeholders
You'll work independently with significant technical ownership in a small, empowered team built to move fast. This is not a traditional management role but rather a senior individual contributor position with deep discipline expertise and versatility to support wherever programs need it.
Required qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Systems, or Electrical Engineering (advanced degree preferred); 8–12 years of relevant engineering experience; demonstrated experience defining and integrating mission systems, payloads, or sensor packages for aerospace or defense platforms; familiarity with mission-system requirements management and payload-to-airframe integration; ability to work across the full development lifecycle in fast-paced, resource-constrained environments; comfort operating as a generalist when needed; ability to work independently with significant technical ownership. Must be a U.S. Person as defined by ITAR/EAR and able to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.
