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Archer

Aerodynamics Engineer – Conceptual Sizing & Performance

San Jose, California, United States$152.8k–$227.6kmidAdded today

About this role

Archer seeks an Aerodynamics Engineer to conceptually design and size aerodynamic surfaces for next-generation eVTOL aircraft. You'll use low-fidelity tools and handbook methods to build drag polars, trim aircraft across flight regimes, and deliver performance estimates to guide vehicle-level configuration decisions.

What you'll do

  • Size primary aerodynamic surfaces (wing, tail) for tiltrotor/eVTOL configurations using low-fidelity tools like AVL and OpenVSP
  • Build drag polars and establish trim schedules across hover, transition, and cruise flight conditions
  • Estimate vehicle performance metrics including range, endurance, speed, and climb rate
  • Conduct mission-level performance analysis for payload-range trades and hover ceiling assessments
  • Provide aerodynamic feedback on control effectiveness and stability margins for configuration trades
  • Collaborate with vehicle and powertrain teams to validate overall performance against mission requirements

What they're looking for

  • Aerodynamic design tools (AVL, OpenVSP, XFOIL)
  • Handbook-based sizing methods (Hoerner, Roskam)
  • Trim and flight mechanics analysis across multiple regimes
  • Vehicle performance estimation (range, endurance, speed)
  • Python or MATLAB for data reduction and analysis
  • Tiltrotor and rotorcraft aerodynamics (desired)
  • CFD solvers such as OVERFLOW, FUN3D, StarCCM+, or OpenFOAM (desired)
  • Rotorcraft comprehensive analysis tools like RCAS or CAMRAD II (desired)
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Archer

Archer develops all-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for sustainable aviation. The company is hiring engineers across electrical integration, software, aerodynamics, and controls to build and validate autonomous flight systems, propulsion architectures, and aircraft design.

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Likely interview questions

  • Walk us through your experience using low-fidelity aerodynamic tools—which have you used most, and how did you validate results against higher-fidelity methods or flight data?
  • Describe a time you sized aerodynamic surfaces from mission requirements; how did you handle conflicting design constraints?
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