Vehicle Architect — Conceptual Sizing

THE ROLE

As Vehicle Architect, you will own the overall conceptual sizing and configuration of a next-generation aircraft. You'll build and run the optimization models and tools that translate mission and customer inputs into a converged, weight- and performance-closed vehicle. You'll integrate inputs from the structures, powertrain, and aerodynamics architects into a unified sizing and optimization framework, lead configuration trade studies, and work directly with customers and partners to help shape missions around their needs.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Build and maintain the vehicle-level conceptual sizing and optimization models and tools that translate mission and use-case inputs into vehicle-level sizing parameters (e.g. MTOW, empty weight, disk/wing loading, installed power).
• Own and evolve Archer's vehicle-level conceptual sizing and MDO methodology, integrating models from structures, powertrain, aerodynamics, and other disciplines into a unified optimization framework.
• Lead configuration trade studies across different use cases and missions, trading performance, weight, cost, and producibility.
• Work with product, systems engineering, and customers to help shape missions around customer needs, translating use cases into vehicle-level design drivers; support requirements definition.
• Own the vehicle mass properties rollup, sizing convergence loop, and margin management across the concept.
• Serve as a key technical point of contact with customers and partners; presenting trade studies, sizing rationale, and vehicle performance, and incorporating their feedback into updated mission assumptions.
• Support technical volumes, cost estimates, and schedule inputs for proposals and program/customer reviews.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• Strong proficiency in Python is required, including building and maintaining production-quality analysis and optimization tools.
• Strong proficiency with multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) frameworks is required, for example OpenMDAO, AeroSandbox, SUAVE, GPkit, Dymos, or similar.
• Demonstrated experience sizing actual aircraft that have flown.
• Experience integrating multi-disciplinary inputs (aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, mass properties) into an overall vehicle sizing and optimization model. The ideal candidate would have experience in two or more of the following
• Experience with rotor and/or propeller aerodynamic and structural sizing.
• Experience with hybrid-electric powertrain sizing and configuration trades.
• Experience with electric propulsion systems (motors, inverters, batteries).
• Experience with conventional piston or turboshaft propulsion integration.
• Experience with payload and sensor integration (e.g., mission equipment, payloads, cargo).
• Familiarity with eVTOL, tiltrotor, or rotorcraft configurations and their unique sizing drivers.
• Experience with surrogate modeling techniques (e.g., interpolants, radial basis functions, Gaussian process regression, neural networks).
• Experience running analyses on high-performance computing (HPC) resources.
• Experience with geometry parameterization for conceptual design (e.g., parametric OML and/or structural geometry generation).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable presenting trade studies to both technical and customer/partner audiences.
• Familiarity with MIL specs and/or FARs.

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 - $237,600. Actual compensation offered will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.