Program Manager, GNC Software

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 for 60 miles at speeds of up to 150 mph 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:

Archer is seeking an experienced GNC Engineering Project Manager to lead program execution within our Guidance, Navigation & Control discipline. You will be the primary driver of schedule, delivery, and cross-team coordination for all GNC deliverables — spanning flight control laws, state estimation, navigation systems, and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing infrastructure. This is a deeply technical program management role that requires both aerospace domain fluency and exceptional organizational leadership. You will partner closely with GNC engineers, Systems Engineering, Flight Test, Software, and Certification to ensure GNC milestones support the overall Midnight aircraft development and certification program.

• Own and maintain the GNC integrated master schedule (IMS), encompassing control law development, state estimation, software releases, HIL/SIL test campaigns, and flight test readiness milestones
• Develop detailed work breakdown structures (WBS) for GNC workstreams; decompose engineering deliverables into trackable tasks with clear owners and due dates
• Track and report on ticket velocity, backlog health, and closure rates using Jira or equivalent tools
• Proactively identify schedule risks, model impacts, and drive mitigation plans in coordination with GNC technical leads and program leadership
• Align GNC sub-schedules with the aircraft-level IMS and certification plan; surface conflicts early and facilitate resolution across disciplines
• Serve as the primary interface between the GNC engineering team and adjacent disciplines including Powertrain, Flight Software, Systems Engineering, Flight Test, and Certification
• Facilitate weekly GNC program reviews, sprint ceremonies, and monthly milestone gate reviews; own meeting agendas, minutes, and action tracking
• Coordinate GNC inputs into aircraft-level PDRs, CDRs, software milestones, and certification compliance reviews; ensure teams are prepared and documentation is delivered on time
• Manage dependencies between GNC software releases and HIL/SIL test infrastructure; track readiness gates for each flight test campaign
• Track GNC headcount, contractor spend, tooling, and simulation infrastructure costs against approved budgets; report actuals and forecasts monthly
• Support engineering resource planning — identify staffing gaps, coordinate with recruiting for open roles, and manage onboarding timelines to protect schedule
• Develop and maintain estimates at completion (EACs) for GNC program elements; flag budget risks to exec stakeholders with recommended actions
• Maintain a GNC-specific risk register; facilitate risk review meetings with the technical team and escalate critical risks to program leadership
• Identify gaps in development processes and technical decision-making; propose well-informed, actionable next steps
• Drive closure of open actions and decisions through disciplined follow-up; own the GNC RAID log (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Decisions)
• Support trade study and make/buy decisions for GNC tools and infrastructure (e.g., simulation platforms, sensor suites)
• Coordinate GNC contributions to FAA certification activities including DO-178C software certification, DO-331 model-based development, and ARP4754A system development assurance
• Track GNC compliance matrix items, DER review milestones, and Stage of Involvement (SOI) audit schedules; ensure the team meets certification commitments
• Support configuration management and document control processes for GNC design documentation, test reports, and software baselines

What You Need:

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a closely related technical field
• 10+ years of project or program management experience in aerospace, aviation, or defense, with direct exposure to flight control, GNC, avionics, or embedded flight software programs
• Strong working knowledge of GNC fundamentals — flight control laws, state estimation, navigation filters (e.g., EKF), autopilot architectures, or similar; ability to engage credibly with PhD-level engineers
• Demonstrated experience managing complex hardware/software development programs with tight interdependencies and regulatory constraints
• Proficiency with project scheduling tools (MS Project, Smartsheet, or equivalent) and agile tools (Jira, Confluence)
• Experience supporting or directly managing DO-178C, DO-331, or ARP4754A certification activities
• Exceptional communication skills — ability to translate technical GNC content into clear executive-level status updates and risk narratives
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple parallel workstreams without losing fidelity

Bonus Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Controls, or a related field
• PMP, PMI-ACP, or CSM (Certified Scrum Master) certification
• Hands-on experience in GNC algorithm development, HIL/SIL test environments, or flight simulation platforms (e.g., Simulink, FlightGear, X-Plane)
• Background at an eVTOL, UAM, or advanced air mobility company, or a Part 25/Part 23 aircraft OEM
• Familiarity with MBSE tools (e.g., Cameo, Rhapsody) and requirements management platforms (Polarion, DOORS)
• Experience with EVMS and earned value reporting in a defense or aerospace program context

This Role reports directly to the Director of SW Programs.

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.

At Archer we aim to attract, retain, and motivate talent that possess the skills and leadership necessary to grow our business. We drive a pay-for-performance culture and reward performance that supports the Company’s business strategy. For this position we are targeting a base pay between $199,000.00 – $248,800.00. Actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as 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 people@archer.com. Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis.