Lead Flight Controls & Software Engineer – Special Programs

Archer • San Jose, CA

12d • $138,200 - $190,100 • Onsite

About The Position

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 – Flight Controls & Software brings deep flight controls and software engineering expertise as their organic core competency — control law development, flight dynamics, and the embedded flight control and autopilot software that implements them for prototype vehicles.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Controls, Electrical, or Computer Engineering (advanced degree a plus)
• Demonstrated experience in flight control law development, flight dynamics, or stability and control analysis for aerospace platforms
• Demonstrated experience developing embedded flight control or autopilot software
• Familiarity with relevant control design, simulation, and embedded software development tools
• 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

Responsibilities

• Lead flight control law design and analysis for prototype vehicles, including control law development, flight dynamics modeling, and stability and control assessment
• Lead development of embedded flight control and autopilot software, from architecture through implementation and flight test support
• Support rapid prototyping efforts end-to-end, from concept modeling and simulation through hardware-in-the-loop test and flight test support
• Own the flight controls and software discipline within Special Programs — setting technical approach, standards, and analysis/development methods used across the program’s flight controls and software work
• 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

Benefits

• pay-for-performance culture
• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior