Head of Engineering, Archer
Innovation Lab
$219-300k
More information about location
Office located in San Jose, CA
Electric air taxis
Open for applications
Electric air taxis
1001+ employees
Open for applications
$219-300k
More information about location
Office located in San Jose, CA
1001+ employees
Company mission
To unlock the skies, freeing everyone to reimagine how they move and spend time.
Role
Who you are
- This is a director-level leadership role for someone who thrives at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and practical impact
- 10+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 4 years in a technical leadership or management role
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience)
- Deep hands-on expertise in ML/AI, including applied machine learning, LLMs, and agentic AI systems (e.g., tool-using agents, multi-agent architectures, autonomous workflows)
- Proven track record of rapid prototyping and MVP delivery — turning ambiguous problems into working software quickly
- Strong proficiency in modern programming languages and frameworks (e.g., Python, TypeScript) with a demonstrated commitment to writing code daily
- Demonstrated ability to lead and inspire engineering teams while maintaining a hands-on, code-first approach — true player/coach mentality
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders and influence at the executive level
- Comfort operating in fast-paced, ambiguous environments where priorities shift and scrappiness is a virtue
Desirable
- Experience in aerospace, aviation, manufacturing, or other hardware-intensive industries
- Familiarity with MLOps, model deployment pipelines, and scaling AI solutions in production environments
- Experience building with modern agentic AI frameworks (e.g., LangChain, CrewAI, AutoGen, or custom agent orchestration systems)
- Background in full-stack development with experience shipping user-facing products end-to-end
- Prior experience reporting to or partnering closely with C-suite executives on digital transformation initiatives
What the job involves
- As the Head of Innovation Engineering, you will lead a high-performing team of engineers focused on rapidly identifying, prototyping, and delivering transformative solutions that leverage AI/ML and emerging technologies to solve real-world problems across the business
- Reporting directly to the Chief Digital Officer, you will set the vision and technical direction for innovation engineering while remaining deeply hands-on — writing code, building prototypes, and shipping alongside your team
- Define and drive the innovation engineering roadmap, identifying high-value opportunities where AI/ML, agentic AI systems, and rapid prototyping can accelerate Archer's mission and digital capabilities
- Lead, mentor, and grow a team of engineers who share a passion for building fast, learning faster, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible — fostering a culture of experimentation, ownership, and technical excellence
- Architect and build AI-powered solutions, including autonomous agents, intelligent workflows, and ML-driven tools that address complex operational and engineering challenges
- Operate as a player/coach — personally contributing production-quality code, building MVPs, and prototyping concepts while coaching and unblocking your team to do the same
- Champion a rapid prototyping and MVP-driven development approach, moving ideas from concept to working software quickly, validating assumptions early, and iterating based on real user feedback
- Partner cross-functionally with engineering, operations, product, and business stakeholders to identify pain points, scope opportunities, and deliver solutions that create measurable value
- Stay at the forefront of AI/ML advancements, including large language models, agentic frameworks, and emerging tooling — evaluating and adopting technologies that give Archer a competitive edge
- 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
Our take
With traffic, noise, and emissions becoming major challenges for urban life, Archer is building electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircrafts, led by its flagship model, Midnight, offering a cleaner, quieter alternative to traditional short-haul travel. The idea is simple: replace long car rides with quick, sustainable fluights that lift off vertically, fly over the gridlock, and help reduce urban pollution. It's a bold shift in transportation, but one that could meaningfully change how we navigate cities in the years ahead.
Midnight is designed to make these short flights practical, safe, and efficient. Its electric powertrain significantly reduce noise and emissions compared to helicopters (one of the biggest barriers to adopting urban air mobility at scale). However, eVTOLs face hurdles before becoming an everyday reality, including regulatory approvals, infrastructure build-out, and the operational testing needed to prove long-term safety and reliability. Archer is addressing these challenges with major manufacturing investment, deep engineering partnerships, and ongoing flight testing in the US and abroad.
Even with these barriers, Archer has been moving from success to success. The company is set to be the official air taxi provider for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. And its recent acquisition of Hawthorne Airport in LA will serve as both a launch site and an innovation hub for next-generation, AI-powered aviation operations. On the commercial side, Archer's partnerships with United Airlines and its growing international presence signal strong industry confidence. COmbines with newly expanded funding and successful long-range flight tests, Archer sure is a promising player in eVTOl aviation.
Freddie
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
44% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (1 round)
Jul 2020
$55.7m
SERIES A
Total funding: $55.7m
Company HQ
Tasman and Zanker, San Jose, CA
Leadership
Adam Goldstein
(Founder & CEO)Began their career in Financial Services, before co-founding Vettery, a talent marketplace, in 2012. Founded Archer in 2018.
Salary benchmarks
We don't have enough data yet to provide salary benchmarks for this role.
Submit your salary to help other candidates with crowdsourced salary estimates.
Share this job
View 59 more jobs at Archer