{"id":232037,"url":"https://alion.io/job/archer-aviation-vehicle-architect-conceptual-sizing","title":"Vehicle Architect — Conceptual Sizing","company":{"id":6898,"name":"Archer Aviation","domain":"archer.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/archer","size_band":null,"is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":90,"open_postings":80,"ghost_share":0.075,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0.013,"time_to_fill_p50_days":93,"computed_at":"2026-11-02T06:13:15Z"}},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"staff","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["San Jose, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":172800,"max":237600,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":237600},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":true,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"HPC","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-01T00:54:51Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-02","last_verified_at":"2026-11-02T07:41:12Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":62,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":["company_stale"],"days_open":62},"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.\nOur 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.\nTHE ROLE\nAs 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.\nWHAT YOU'LL DO\nBuild 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).\nOwn 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.\nLead configuration trade studies across different use cases and missions, trading performance, weight, cost, and producibility.\nWork with product, systems engineering, and customers to help shape missions around customer needs, translating use cases into vehicle-level design drivers; support requirements definition.\nOwn the vehicle mass properties rollup, sizing convergence loop, and margin management across the concept.\nServe 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.\nSupport technical volumes, cost estimates, and schedule inputs for proposals and program/customer reviews.\nWHAT YOU'LL NEED\nStrong proficiency in Python is required, including building and maintaining production-quality analysis and optimization tools.\nStrong proficiency with multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) frameworks is required, for example OpenMDAO, AeroSandbox, SUAVE, GPkit, Dymos, or similar.\nDemonstrated experience sizing actual aircraft that have flown.\nExperience 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\nExperience with rotor and/or propeller aerodynamic and structural sizing.\nExperience with hybrid-electric powertrain sizing and configuration trades.\nExperience with electric propulsion systems (motors, inverters, batteries).\nExperience with conventional piston or turboshaft propulsion integration.\nExperience with payload and sensor integration (e.g., mission equipment, payloads, cargo).\nFamiliarity with eVTOL, tiltrotor, or rotorcraft configurations and their unique sizing drivers.\nExperience with surrogate modeling techniques (e.g., interpolants, radial basis functions, Gaussian process regression, neural networks).\nExperience running analyses on high-performance computing (HPC) resources.\nExperience with geometry parameterization for conceptual design (e.g., parametric OML and/or structural geometry generation).\nStrong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable presenting trade studies to both technical and customer/partner audiences.\nFamiliarity with MIL specs and/or FARs.\nAt 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. \nArcher 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 . Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis.\nInformation collected and processed as part of any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Archer's Candidate Privacy Policy.\nCertain positions may be eligible for visa sponsorship.\nArcher 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.\nArcher 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 . 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