Director of Flight Software & Algorithms

Director of Flight Software & Algorithms

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.

About the Role

The Director of Flight Software & Algorithms leads the teams that own Archer's core flight software, guidance/navigation/control (GNC) algorithms, autonomy, powertrain software, and the safety-critical onboard systems that fly our aircraft. This is a product-centric, deep-domain leadership role with end-to-end ownership from control law and estimation algorithm to certified, airworthy software running on the aircraft.

We are building the most advanced and the most AI-native flight software organization in aerospace. This leader will not simply apply established DO-178C practice they will help reinvent it, using AI, automation, and modern software methods to compress the path from algorithm to certified flight while raising the safety bar. The mandate is explicit: change how flight-critical software and GNC are built in this industry, and prove that velocity and airworthiness are not a tradeoff.

"One foot in software, one foot in systems." You will drive technical strategy, execution, and cross-functional alignment across Software, Avionics, Flight Controls, and Flight Test.

What You'll Do

• Lead and grow the Flight Software & Algorithms organization embedded flight software, GNC, autonomy, powertrain software, and simulation managing managers and senior technical leaders.
• Own the architecture, development, integration, and verification of all flight-critical and safety-critical software, from requirements to airworthiness.
• Drive the design of GNC algorithms, state estimation, fault detection and isolation, and flight-control logic for a novel eVTOL configuration across hover, transition, and forward flight.
• Oversee real-time embedded software for flight computers, motor/powertrain controllers, sensors, and avionics.
• Make Archer's flight software AI-native: champion AI-assisted development, model-based design, automated requirements-to-code-to-test traceability, and learning-enabled control and autonomy always inside a rigorous safety and certification envelope.
• Partner with the AI-Native Engineering Platform & DevSecOps organization to exploit code-to-flight CI/CD, automated verification, and AI tooling that compound your team's velocity.
• Establish and mature software development and assurance processes aligned with DO-178C, DO-330, ARP4754A, and ARP4761.
• Ensure robust simulation, modeling, and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) environments for rapid, safe iteration.
• Represent the organization in design reviews, certification discussions (DER/ODA), and executive-level program updates.
• Build a culture of technical excellence, extreme ownership, honest debate, and "build like lives depend on it."

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related field (advanced degree preferred).
• 12+ years in flight software, embedded systems, GNC, controls, or autonomy for aerospace, defense, spacecraft, or autonomous vehicles.
• 5+ years of engineering leadership managing managers and senior technical leaders, with a track record of scaling high-performing teams.
• Proven delivery of safety-critical, real-time embedded software for aircraft, spacecraft, or autonomous vehicles.
• Deep command of control theory, estimation, navigation, and flight-control algorithms.
• Strong working knowledge of DO-178C, ARP4754A/ARP4761, and safety-critical development and assurance.
• Demonstrated ability to set technical direction and drive execution in a fast-moving environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with eVTOL, electric propulsion, or novel aircraft configurations.
• Demonstrated use of AI/ML, learning-based control, advanced perception, or autonomy in real systems and a clear point of view on doing so safely.
• Experience modernizing flight-software development with automation, model-based methods, or AI-assisted tooling.
• HIL testing, simulation frameworks, RTOS, and tool qualification (DO-330).
• Prior involvement in aircraft certification programs (DER/ODA interaction).

What We Look For

• A leader who believes velocity is a feature, not a tradeoff and that better, faster engineering makes aircraft safer.
• Conviction that AI will reshape aerospace software, paired with the rigor to deploy it responsibly.
• Ability to thrive in ambiguity, build structure where needed, debate on merit, and commit fully.
• Passion for aviation and sustainable transportation.