Lead Mechanical Design & Manufacturing Engineer – Special Programs
Archer Aviation
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.
About the Role
Special Programs is Archer's rapid-prototyping, cross-functional engineering team supporting advanced and defense-focused development efforts. We operate as a small, empowered group capable of moving quickly across disciplines - from early technical assessment of new opportunities through hands-on design, analysis, and prototype development.
The Lead Special Programs Engineer - Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Deployment brings deep expertise in mechanical design, manufacturing, and deployment as their organic core competency - mechanisms, actuation, and packaging for prototype systems, plus the manufacturing and fielding approach that gets them into the field.
What You’ll Do
- Lead mechanical design and analysis for prototype systems, including mechanisms, actuation, launch/release hardware, and packaging/integration
- Lead manufacturing and build planning for prototype hardware, including design-for-manufacturability, fabrication approach, and production readiness
- Support deployment and fielding of prototype systems, including logistics, handling, and field-support considerations
- Support rapid prototyping efforts end-to-end, from concept sketches through detailed design, fabrication support, and test
- Own the mechanical design, manufacturing, and deployment discipline within Special Programs - setting technical approach, standards, and methods used across the program’s work in these areas
- Conduct technical feasibility assessments of new opportunities - evaluating whether emerging concepts, RFPs, or mission requirements are viable within your focus area and what approach they would require
- Serve as a cross-functional technical contributor across Special Programs efforts outside your core focus area when program needs require it
- Collaborate with program leads, other Special Programs engineers, and broader Archer engineering teams to align technical approaches with program timelines and constraints
- Produce technical documentation, trade studies, and analysis packages supporting both design maturity reviews and opportunity/capture decisions
- Represent Special Programs work in your focus area in internal reviews and, as needed, in discussions with government stakeholders
What You’ll Need
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (advanced degree a plus)
- Demonstrated experience in mechanical design and analysis for aerospace or defense hardware, including mechanisms and packaging/integration
- Demonstrated experience or strong familiarity with manufacturing processes, design-for-manufacturability, and build/production planning
- Familiarity with launch, release, or handling mechanism design, and with deployment/fielding logistics, a plus
- Demonstrated ability to work across the full development lifecycle - concept through prototype - in a fast-paced, resource-constrained environment
- Experience or strong aptitude for evaluating technical feasibility of early-stage concepts, not just executing against defined requirements
- Comfort operating as a generalist when needed - willingness and ability to contribute outside your core focus area in support of program needs
- Ability to work independently with significant technical ownership and no direct-report support structure
- 8-12 years of relevant engineering experience (or equivalent demonstrated experience in rapid-prototyping / advanced-programs environments)
- Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, national, lawful permanent resident, asylee, or refugee), as defined by ITAR/EAR
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance
What Makes This Role Different
This isn’t a seat on Archer’s core mechanical design, manufacturing and deployment team. Special Programs engineers are chosen for deep discipline expertise and the versatility to support wherever a program needs it - from early opportunity evaluation to hands-on prototype work across disciplines. You’ll have significant technical ownership and autonomy, working in a small team built to move fast on some of Archer’s most forward-looking defense efforts.
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 $138,200 - $190,100. Actual compensation offered will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.