Lead Mechanical Design & Manufacturing Engineer – Special Programs

Archer • San Jose, CA

20h • 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 – 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. This role is not 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.

Requirements

• 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

Responsibilities

• 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

Benefits

• Pay-for-performance culture
• Reasonable accommodations for 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