Director, Software Program Management

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.

What You’ll Do:

As Director of Software Program Management you will be managing a team of software program managers responsible for driving end-to-end delivery of safety critical software programs across flight control software, battery management, embedded systems, electric engine controls, vehicle control, ground infrastructure, and cloud-based systems. You will work cross-functionally with engineering, certification, systems integration, product, and leadership teams to ensure on-time, on-budget, and high-quality delivery of software components essential for certifying and operating our Archer Midnight aircraft.

• Own the strategy, planning and execution of all software development initiatives, ensuring alignment with company milestones and regulatory requirements
• Build and maintain strong relationships across different Archer engineering teams. Work with Software Engineering Managers and Technical Leads to boost communication and solve problems.
• Develop task-based schedules and track progress against the program plan.
• Identify and manage project Risks, Issues and Opportunities.
• Relentlessly drive on-time execution
• Communicate regularly with stakeholders, providing updates on project milestones, risks, and issues. Prepare and present project reports, status updates, and performance metrics to senior leadership and key stakeholders. Specific tools include Earned Value Tracking and Jira.
• Support and lead software change control boards to manage project scope and drive team focus.
• Identify areas for process improvement and implement solutions to drive team efficiency and productivity.
• Compare actual performance against planned performance to identify variances and actively manage team deliverables. 
• Champion modern program management tools and agile/hybrid development methodologies appropriate for safety-critical aerospace software
• Hire, lead, mentor and develop a team of software program managers fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement
• Develop processes to improve the efficiency, reliability and repeatability of developing, testing and deploying software with your team

What You Need:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or in a related field or equivalent industry experience.
• Minimum 10+ years related New Product Introduction (NPI) experience in aerospace, automotive, defense or related safety-critical industry.
• Deep familiarity with systems engineering practices, software lifecycle standards (e.g., V-model, DO-178C), and agile development
• Understanding of software development process and experience with embedded software development.
• Proven track record managing complex, multi-disciplinary software projects from concept through certification and/or product release
• Familiarization with Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or other scheduling software.
• Familiarization with Atlassian Jira and Confluence for task management and collaborative documentation.
• Ability to operate in an ambiguous environment with little direction.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Have directly managed software program managers in the past

Bonus Qualifications:

• Experience with development of aerospace flight control systems, battery management systems, electric engine control systems, and/or vehicle management systems.
• Aerospace software certification experience and/or experience working with DO-178C.
• Prior experience with FAA Part 23/27/33 certification processes or advanced air mobility (AAM) regul