Structural Design Engineer, Test

Company: Archer
Location: San Jose
Posted on: April 3, 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. What you'll do: As a Structural Design Engineer at Archer, you will be responsible for designing fixtures, test equipment, and defining instrumentation in CAD. You will assist in assembling fixtures and conducting structural tests on flight-critical and other test articles. This will be a hands on position. These test programs will focus on various levels from allowables development, design, and methods validation, flight test artical verification, and full-scale destructive testing. This position will focus on validating the structural performance of a primarily composite aircraft. Apply understanding of loads paths, design best practices, and hand calcs to design robust structural configurations Create and review drawings, define project plans, procure parts, materials and equipment Manage suppliers to design test fixtures and execute test programs Create instrumentation definition, calibrate instrumentation, and install instrumentation on test articles. Lead small test teams to drive programs to completion Collect and analyze data from testing Design test stands, fixtures, DAQs Define testing procedures, SOPs, and best practices Enforce safety and test protocol in the structural test lab What you need: 5 years of experience with lightweight structures (aircraft, spacecraft, other high-performance vehicles) Bachelor’s degree in an Engineering field Ability to design and analyze simple components An understanding of load paths and laminate design fundamentals Strong CAD skills in NX (preferred), Solidworks, Catia or Creo Familiarity with PDM systems Experience with the manufacturing of composite parts Ability to lift 50lb Ability to travel up to 25% of the time Bonus qualifications: 5 years of hands-on experience in aerospace structural analysis or testing. Experience with NX and/or FEMAP/Nastran software. Experience with Data Acquisition Software (LabVIEW, MTS, Load Star). Prior hands-on experience with aircraft design, analysis, or structural testing. Solid problem-solving skills and the ability to make decisions quickly. Experience using Instron, MTS, or other testing systems. Experience with electronics, circuitry, and soldering. A proven track record in airframe assembly and composite structure builds; EVTOL or experimental aircraft work is a strong plus. Hands-on experience with structural testing. Excellent communication skills, the ability to thrive in a rapid-iteration environment, and a bias toward action when solving complex, hands-on problems. Knowledge of FAA aircraft certification test requirements for Part 23 / Part 27 aircraft. Fabrication 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, Ceres , Structural Design Engineer, Test, Engineering , San Jose, California