Program Manager, Aircraft Integration

Company: Archer
Location: San Jose
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

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. 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 for 60 miles at speeds of up to 150 mph 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. What You’ll Do: As the Program Manager for Aircraft you will be responsible for the program performance and delivery of integrated aircraft vehicles. You will be responsible for close coordination with multi-disciplinary teams including Engineering teams, Software, Program Management, Quality, and Test. In this role you will be expected to drive progress and execution, which is critical to the success of the Archer business and our eVTOL aircraft. Develop strong relationships across Archer, inclusive of suppliers, and lead a multidisciplinary team to execute complex development programs within schedule and budget. Be the primary program leader for applicable Program Gates and Milestones (CoDR PDR, CDR, PRR, etc). Define, launch, and drive mission-critical technical and business initiatives to ensure overall program success and will be expected to resolve a wide range of aircraft program issues in imaginative as well as practical ways. Identify and manage project Risks, Issues, and Opportunities to closure in partnership with functional leads and Program Managers. Identify issues, propose solutions and drive recovery plans to closure. Execute within project schedule and budget, tracking expenses and identifying cost-savings opportunities. Relentlessly drive on-time execution Communicate regularly with stakeholders, providing updates on project milestones, risks, and issues. Prepare and present project reports, status updates, and performance metrics to senior leadership and key stakeholders. Specific tools include Smartsheets and Jira. Support change control boards to manage project scope and drive technical discipline. Identify areas of improvement or gaps in current processes and develop strategies to promote efficiency and productivity. Compare actual performance against planned performance to identify variances, and help manage tasks on the Critical Path. What You Need: A minimum of 5-10 years experience in complex HW/SW design, development, test and production. Experience as a program/project manager and knowledge of the program management best practices. Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Engineering Management, Business or equivalent industry experience. Working knowledge of how program management interacts and collaborates with finance, supply chain, quality, and engineering Thorough understanding of engineering product development including design phases, manufacturing business processes and supply chain management. Familiarization with Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or other scheduling software. Familiarization with Atlassian Jira and Confluence for task management and collaborative documentation. Ability to operate in an ambiguous environment with little direction. Strong communication and interpersonal skills. Strong organizational skills and attention to detail. Bonus Qualifications: >5 years related experience with one or more aviation engineering disciplines Thorough understanding of engineering product development including design phases, manufacturing business processes and supply chain management knowledge Direct experience as a program manager of an air vehicle program Experience working with ARP4754A, DO-178C FAA certification experience This Role reports directly to the Director of Aircraft Integration Program Management. Please note that this job description is intended to provide a general overview of the position and does not include an exhaustive list of responsibilities and qualifications. At Archer we aim to attract, retain, and motivate talent that possess the skills and leadership necessary to grow our business. We drive a pay-for-performance culture and reward performance that supports the Company’s business strategy. For this position we are targeting a base pay between $144,000 - $198,000. Actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Archer is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to job applicants with physical or mental disabilities, and those with sincerely held religious beliefs. Applicants who may require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should provide their name and contact information to Archer’s People Team at people@archer.com. Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Information collected and processed as part of any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Archer's Candidate Privacy Policy . Archer is unable to provide work visa sponsorship for this position at the present time. Archer is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. All aspects of employment are decided on the basis of merit, qualifications, and business needs. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Archer Aviation does not engage with external recruiting agencies/individual recruiters with whom it does not have a prior written agreement. Archer reserves the right to make use of any unsolicited resumes that it receives and bears no responsibility for payment of any fees asserted from the use of unsolicited resumes. If you are a recruiting agency or individual recruiter wishing to do business with Archer, please reach out to People@archer.com . All employment processes are managed by the Archer People Team.

Keywords: Archer, Daly City , Program Manager, Aircraft Integration, Engineering , San Jose, California