Principal Airframe Architect

Archer
San Jose
Workplace: HybridFull timeUSD 242,800 - 322,100 annuallyFunction: OtherExperience: 15+ yearsEducation: bachelorsSkills: ["Leadership","Teamwork","Self-starter","Desire to work in a fast-paced environment","Mentoring"]

Lead airframe development for an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, guiding structural design from concept through build and flight test. Evaluate structural layouts and materials to balance weight, manufacturability, and cost, and develop conceptual architecture with parametric structural weight models. Perform loads, hand calculations, and analytical/FEM sizing for fuselage, wing, tail, and nacelle components, validate requirements, and mentor junior engineers while ensuring robust, manufacturable designs.

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Archer
Archer
2 days ago

Principal Airframe Architect

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Last checked: 5 hours agoStatus: Live

Job Summary

Lead airframe development for an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, guiding structural design from concept through build and flight test. Evaluate structural layouts and materials to balance weight, manufacturability, and cost, and develop conceptual architecture with parametric structural weight models. Perform loads, hand calculations, and analytical/FEM sizing for fuselage, wing, tail, and nacelle components, validate requirements, and mentor junior engineers while ensuring robust, manufacturable designs.
Location: San Jose
Workplace: Hybrid
Employment Type: Full time
Seniority: Mid level

Key Responsibilities

  • •Lead airframe development from concept through build and flight test, collaborating with the Chief Engineer and program leaders to meet target requirements.
  • •Evaluate and trade structural layouts and material selections across candidate configurations for weight, manufacturability, and cost.
  • •Develop conceptual airframe architecture and parametric structural weight models for fuselage, wing, tail, and nacelle structures.
  • •Size major structural components using classical analytical methods and/or conceptual FEM, applying load path understanding and design best practices.
  • •Own validation and verification of airframe requirements and mentor junior engineers on design, analysis, and manufacturing techniques.

Pay and Benefits

Salary: USD 242,800 - 322,100 annually

Key Requirements

  • •15+ years of experience with aircraft structures, including leadership in a recent civil or military aircraft development program.
  • •Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
  • •In-depth understanding of load paths and laminate and metallic design fundamentals, including FEA and hand-calculation methods.
  • •Broad experience across airframe structures such as fuselage, wing, pylons, and empennage.
  • •Strong CAD skills in NX (preferred) plus Solidworks, Catia, or Creo, and hands-on composites and metallic manufacturing experience.
Experience:15+ yearsCivil aircraftMilitary aircraftAerospaceCompositesAircraft design
Education:Bachelor's in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering
Skills:LeadershipTeamworkSelf-starterDesire to work in a fast-paced environmentMentoring
Languages:English
Tech Stack:NXSolidworksCatiaCreoFEAFEMCompositesWet-layPrepregAutoclaveBondingDrillingMillingLatheClosed form solutionsSandwich panel stability

Eligibility

Work Authorization:Authorization required. Sponsorship not provided.

Company Brief

Archer
Develops electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and urban air mobility systems to enable sustainable, intra-city air transportation for passengers and cargo.
Industry: Aerospace Manufacturing
Company Size: Large (251 to 1,000 employees)
Revenue: Pre-Revenue (USD 0)
Growth: Public Company
Valuation: Public Company (Market Cap in USD)
Funding: IPO / Publicly Listed
Headquarters: Palo Alto, United States
Founded: 2018
WebsiteLinkedIn