Operations Program Manager, Powertrain at Archer56

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. As an Operations Program Manager (OPM) at Archer, you will be responsible for driving execution across complex, cross-functional initiatives that are critical to launching our eVTOL aircraft into production and deployment. This role requires a unique blend of technical depth, operational rigor, and strategic leadership. This specific role will be supporting our powertrain prototype and production lines, specifically responsible for scaling from low to high rate production. This will require you to operate at the center of engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and commercial functions orchestrating pre-production builds, ensuring supplier and Archer factory readiness, validating systems, and driving execution from development through scale. You will engage at every level, from hands-on collaboration with technicians and engineers to provide clarity and direction for executives and external partners. The ideal candidate is a natural problem solver with a background in powertrain, aerospace or complex manufacturing environments who thrives in ambiguity, wears many hats, and consistently delivers results both tactically and strategically. What You’ll Do • Own and deliver critical work packages and projects spanning engineering development, manufacturing validation, and operational readiness. • Lead cross-functional planning and execution across Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Business Systems, Ground Ops, and Commercial teams. • Drive supplier and factory readiness — ensuring MBOMs, ERP/MRP/MES systems, and production lines are validated and configured for launch. • Orchestrate pre-production build activities, ensuring program milestones are met while balancing quality, cost, and schedule. • Track and manage program schedules, identifying critical paths, risks, and recovery plans to ensure on-time delivery. • Maintain strong supplier relationships and oversee key handoffs from development to production planning. • Provide regular updates to leadership, from technical deep-dives to executive-level summaries. • Identify and implement process improvements to optimize operational efficiency and resource allocation. • Collaborate directly with technicians and ground operations teams to ensure seamless transition from build to deployment. • Manage budgets and expenses, identifying cost-savings opportunities without sacrificing performance. • Balance immediate tactical problem-solving with long-term strategic scaling of Archer’s operational capability. What You’ll Bring • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations, or a related technical field. • 7+ years of experience in program management, manufacturing engineering, or operations within aerospace, automotive, or other complex manufacturing industries. • Demonstrated success managing technical programs through development, pre-production builds, and factory readiness into production. • Strong technical acumen; able to dive deep with engineers while also communicating effectively with executives and external partners. • Solid understanding of manufacturing engineering and operations, supply chain, and product introduction processes (MBOM creation, build validation, ERP/MRP/MES systems). • Proven ability to orchestrate large-scale cross-functional efforts in high-stakes environments. Excellent communication and problem-solving skills; able to navigate ambiguity and drive solutions to closure. • Electric powertrain development experience is strongly preferred. • Willingness to travel up to 25%. Why Join Us At Archer, you will help pioneer the future of sustainable aviation. You’ll join a world-class team pushing the boundaries of engineering, manufacturing, and operations, tackling challenges that have never been solved before. If you’re a builder, a problem-solver, and a connector across disciplines, this is your opportunity to make history. 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 - $216,000. Actual compensation offered will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills and 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 [Upgrade to PRO to see contact]. 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 [Upgrade to PRO to see contact]. All employment processes are managed by the Archer People Team.