Staff Equipment Design Engineer

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. At Archer’s Production Realization Lab, we build the electromechanical infrastructure that makes flight possible. We are seeking a Staff Equipment Design Engineer to focus on the end-to-end design of specialized hardware for testing aircraft structural integrity and propulsion components.

Responsibilities

End-to-End Ownership: Lead the development of aircraft subsystem test equipment from initial concept to customer acceptance; Systems Integration & Collaboration: Partner cross-functionally with Electrical and Controls Engineering to define equipment architecture and design; Technical Rigor & Analysis: Execute high-level engineering analyses, including DFMEA and worst-case tolerance stacks, to ensure robust mechanical, pneumatic, and hydraulic designs that meet safety and reliability standards; Project Leadership & Strategy: Manage project scope, budgets, and aggressive timelines, serving as the primary technical point of contact for stakeholders while translating high-level functional requirements into actionable technical specifications; Design Governance: Spearhead formal design reviews to ensure equipment exceeds performance expectations, and oversee the creation of comprehensive documentation packages, including training manuals and installation guides; Technical Oversight & Commissioning: Provide expert mechanical support during equipment build and bring-up cycles, directing assembly technicians and troubleshooting complex hardware issues through to final site acceptance testing (SAT)

Requirements

Education: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Mechatronics, or Aerospace Engineering (Master's preferred) or equivalent; Experience: 7+ years of progressive experience in specialized test equipment or complex machine design; Technical: Expert-level proficiency in 3D CAD (SolidWorks, CATIA, or NX) and GD&T, with a proven track record of managing large, complex assemblies and generating high-fidelity manufacturing documentation; Advanced Engineering Analysis: Demonstrated ability to apply first-principles engineering, including FEA, CFD, and statistical tolerance analysis, to solve sophisticated machine design and structural challenges; Full Lifecycle Commissioning: Extensive experience leading the bring-up, debugging, and continuous improvement of automated equipment, including the integration of data acquisition (DAQ) systems and sensors; Strategic Communication: Exceptional ability to distill complex technical concepts into clear, actionable insights for executive presentations, cross-functional design reviews, and comprehensive technical reports; Operational Agility: A self-starting mindset capable of maintaining rigorous organization and project momentum within a fast-paced, highly dynamic aerospace development environment; Travel: Flexibility to travel up to 10% domestically and internationally to support vendor site visits, equipment installations, and final acceptance testing

Nice to have

Specialized Domain Expertise: Direct experience in the development of electric powertrain or component-level test equipment; Advanced PLM Ecosystems: Deep proficiency in NX CAD within a Teamcenter environment; Full-Scale Project Execution: Proven success managing the complete lifecycle of custom automation or test cells, from initial white-sheet concepting through to final site acceptance and factory integration; Hands-on Technical Depth: Practical "wrench-heavy" experience in the physical assembly of complex mechanical and electrical systems, allowing for more intuitive and manufacturable design decisions (DFM/DFA); Modern Tool-stack: Advanced proficiency in collaborative project management and documentation tools such as Jira, Slack, and Google Workspace to drive team efficiency