Lead Flight Controls, Software Engineer – Special Programs

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in California.

📋 Description

• Lead the design and analysis of flight control laws for prototype vehicles, encompassing control law development, flight dynamics modeling, and the assessment of stability and control.

• Oversee the creation of embedded flight control and autopilot software, from architectural design through to implementation and support during flight testing.

• Facilitate rapid prototyping from concept modeling and simulation to hardware-in-the-loop testing and flight test support.

• Take ownership of the flight controls and software discipline within Special Programs, defining the technical approach, standards, and methods for analysis and development.

• Conduct assessments of technical feasibility for emerging concepts, Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and mission requirements.

• Act as a cross-functional technical contributor across various Special Programs initiatives beyond your primary focus area.

• Collaborate with program leaders, engineers from Special Programs, and wider Archer engineering teams.

• Generate technical documentation, trade studies, and analytical packages for design maturity reviews and decisions related to opportunities and captures.

• Represent the work of Special Programs in internal reviews and discussions with government stakeholders as required.

• Engage in defense-focused, rapid-prototyping initiatives with significant technical ownership and autonomy.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Controls, Electrical, or Computer Engineering (advanced degree is an advantage).

• Proven experience in developing flight control laws, flight dynamics, or conducting stability and control analysis for aerospace platforms.

• Demonstrated expertise in creating embedded flight control or autopilot software.

• Familiarity with relevant control design, simulation, and tools for embedded software development.

• Proven ability to manage the entire development lifecycle — from concept to prototype — in a fast-paced, resource-limited environment.

• Experience or strong potential for assessing the technical feasibility of early-stage concepts.

• Willingness and capability to contribute beyond your primary focus area to support program needs.

• Ability to work independently with significant technical ownership and without direct-report support structures.

• 8–12 years of relevant engineering experience (or equivalent demonstrated experience in rapid-prototyping/advanced-programs settings).

• Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, national, lawful permanent resident, asylee, or refugee), as defined by ITAR/EAR.

• Capability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.

• Willingness to travel up to 10% of the time.

• Archer is unable to provide work visa sponsorship for this position.

🏝️ Benefits

• Pay-for-performance culture.

• Reasonable accommodations for physical or mental disabilities and sincerely held religious beliefs.

• Equal Opportunity employment.