Staff Flight Control Actuation Systems Engineer

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. The opportunity As a member of our Flight Control Actuation Systems team you will define, design, validate, and verify system level requirements while working with internal teams and suppliers to ensure requirement compliance for the flight control actuation system of eVTOL aircraft. You will be responsible for showing compliance with product and regulatory requirements while acting as a multi-disciplinary integrator at the actuator subsystem, flight control system, and aircraft levels. What you’ll do: Contribute at an expert level to actuation product strategy, trades, architecture definition, and planning Plan and coordinate engineering activities with a focus on disciplined and efficient execution Author and take responsibility for the flight control and actuation system-level product requirements while ensuring compatibility with all interfacing systems. Ensure the requirement set is complete and correct, with traceability to and fulfilling business, technical, and operational objectives Coordinate with other Systems Engineers to ensure the fully integrated system meets its requirements and is optimized Collaborate with systems and safety engineering team to define the functional breakdown, and identify functional and physical interfaces Lead and drive mutli-disciplinary integration and problem resolution Support suppliers and internal teams in the development of lower-level requirement sets with other systems engineers, technical leads, and subject matter experts Review and assess internal and supplier designs, documentation, and performance to ensure correctness, completeness, and quality of the product Coordinate the Validation and Verification processes at the system level, ensuring the plans are followed and process independence is maintained Contribute to improving internal processes and tools Contribute to writing system level verification plan and procedures, including formal requirements verification, end-to-end robustness testing, performance analysis, production acceptance test procedures Support development of compliance documentation such as the system certification plan, system compliance checklists, system review reports, system descriptions, issue paper development and responses Support development and review of aircraft level technical documentation such as aircraft manuals and procedures. What we are looking for General Collaborative mindset Excellent verbal and written interpersonal communication Excellent organization and self leadership skills Passion for learning and problem solving 10 years of relevant experience, preferably in aerospace Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or related field Technical Experience developing or working with highly integrated systems (aerospace preferred) Experience with actuation control system requirements and practical controls implementation. Experience with actuation electronics, mechanical, and motor physics fundamentals Experience with EMI/EMC design, physics, mitigation and related testing Experience with design and testing for harsh environments Familiarity with Systems Engineering standards used in civil aviation and the underlying reasons and purpose for each process and activity Experience with aircraft development from concept to certification and entry into service Experience using one or more requirements management tools Bonus Qualifications Experience executing formal Validation and Verification activities in a civil aerospace program Experience with low and high voltage electronics design, board layout, and testing Familiarity with Matlab/Simulink Familiarity with Python or similar scripting languages This position requires access to information which is subject to U.S. export control regulations. To conform to such regulations as the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), applicant should be eligible for any required authorizations from the U.S. Government. 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. 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, Petaluma , Staff Flight Control Actuation Systems Engineer, Engineering , San Jose, California