Engineering Program Manager, Flight Sciences

Program Manager, Flight Sciences

San Jose, California, United States

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.

As a Flight Sciences Program Manager, you will be responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing efforts across Archer's Flight Sciences organization, including Aerodynamics, Acoustics, Vehicle Performance and Flight Simulation, and Thermal Management, in close partnership with Engineering, Aircraft Integration, Flight Test, Program Management, and Supply Chain. This is a highly cross-functional role that ensures technical, schedule, and cost alignment for analysis, simulation, and test activities that directly enable vehicle performance, flight readiness, and certification.

This role requires strong technical intuition, disciplined program execution, and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, ambiguous development environment.

What You'll Do

• Build and maintain strong relationships across Archer teams, including Flight Sciences, Aircraft Integration, Engineering, Flight Test, Program Management, and Supply Chain.
• Act as the primary interface between Flight Sciences and cross-functional stakeholders on deliverables, priorities, issues, and resolution.
• Own execution for assigned Flight Sciences scope; aligning to program requirements and major milestones.
• Partner closely with Flight Sciences leadership and technical leads to plan and execute analysis, simulation, and test campaigns that support vehicle development, integration, and certification.
• Develop and maintain detailed, task-based schedules supporting simulation development, aero/acoustic analyses, wind tunnel testing, and flight test correlation activities.
• Lead program kickoffs, execution reviews, and milestone/gate reviews; track and report progress against the program management plan.
• Drive supplier performance within the flight sciences domain, ensuring all contractual milestones are met through strategic planning and proactive execution.
• Identify, manage, and drive closure of program Risks, Issues, and Opportunities, with particular focus on performance, correlation, and schedule risk.
• Prepare and present executive-level summaries, performance metrics, and readiness assessments to senior leadership.

What You Need

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in program management, technical program management, or engineering roles.
• Experience in flight sciences disciplines, including aerodynamics, flight simulation, thermal management and/or acoustics, and how they support aircraft design, integration, and flight test.
• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent degree.
• Experience successfully managing and driving complex, technically driven development programs and distilling large volumes of information into clear, executive-level communication.
• Proven experience managing cross-functional dependencies and technically complex schedules.
• Expertise in identifying schedule drivers and critical paths to optimize simulation and test workflows.
• Experience with Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or similar scheduling tools.
• Experience with Jira and Confluence for task tracking and collaborative documentation.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and re-prioritize deliverables in a fast-paced, evolving technical environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience in aerospace vehicle development, advanced air mobility, or test programs.
• Familiarity with flight test planning, simulation validation, and model-to-flight correlation.
• Experience supporting certification programs and performance compliance 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 $172,800 - $216,000. Actual compensation offered will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.