Powertrain Operations Manager

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.

About The Role:

As the Powertrain Operations Manager, you will lead day-to-day operations for the Electric Engine Technician and Battery Technician teams supporting electric powertrain manufacturing. This role focuses on building structure and scalable processes in a fast-paced production environment.

You will provide operational leadership to supervisors and technician teams while identifying gaps in current workflows and implementing procedures that improve production stability, efficiency, and accountability on the manufacturing floor.

This is an ideal role for a highly driven operations leader who thrives in early-stage or rapidly scaling production environments and enjoys building structures where processes are still developing.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead production operations for electric powertrain manufacturing, including electric motors and battery systems

• Provide operational leadership to Electric Engine and Battery Technician teams through frontline supervisors

• Identify gaps in current production processes and implement scalable workflows and procedures

• Establish operational discipline, production metrics, and reporting across the manufacturing floor

• Partner with manufacturing engineering to support equipment bring-up, process validation, and production readiness

• Manage day-to-day operations to meet safety, quality, and production targets

• Support root cause investigations and drive corrective actions and continuous improvement

• Develop and maintain standard work, training materials, and production documentation

• Drive 5S and operational excellence initiatives

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve manufacturing systems, tools, and workflows

What You Need:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, or related field

• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing, preferably in automotive, EV, aerospace, or other complex production environments

• 2+ years of leadership experience managing production teams or supervisors

• Demonstrated ability to build structure and processes in early-stage or rapidly evolving manufacturing environments

• Strong operational leadership and problem-solving skills

• Excellent communication and organizational skills

• Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced environments with changing priorities

• Experience with production metrics, manufacturing systems, and process improvement methodologies

Preferred Experience

• High-voltage power systems

• EV battery manufacturing

• Electric motor or powertrain manufacturing

• Automotive or EV production environments

Bonus Qualifications:

• Stator winding manufacturing exposure

• Experience with MES, PLM, or ERP systems

• Familiarity with LOTO, arc flash, and manufacturing safety protocols

• Experience in aerospace or other highly regulated industries

• Basic CAD experience (i.e. NX, Catia, Solidworks)

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 $152,100 - $190,100. Actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Archer is committed to provide a safe workplace and a safe aircraft. This is a safety sensitive designated role. Employment in safety sensitive positions is contingent on successful passage of a background check and is subject to pre-employment and random drug screening.

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 [email protected]. 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 [email protected]. All employment processes are managed by the Archer People Team.