Y Combinator Sr. Industrial Engineer
Summary
Senior Industrial Engineer at Archer in San Jose designs and optimizes factory simulation models to scale aircraft production, analyzing throughput, bottlenecks, and material flow for an all-electric eVTOL aircraft.
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:
Archer is building a foundational Industrial Engineering function within our Manufacturing Technology organization to support the scaling of aircraft production. This team will operate in parallel with Advanced Manufacturing Engineering and Equipment Design, focusing on how products, materials, and people flow through manufacturing systems at production scale.
As a Senior Industrial Engineer, you will own the development of factory simulation models and production flow analyses to support factory design, throughput optimization, and capacity planning. Your work will help validate manufacturing decisions through data-driven simulation before physical implementation, enabling efficient production scaling.
What You’ll Do:
- Develop and maintain factory simulation models to evaluate production throughput, capacity, and scaling strategies.
- Model end-to-end manufacturing flow, including:
- Receiving and inventory staging
- Production lines and machine routing
- Material delivery and outbound logistics
- Build simulation models representing equipment stations, conveyance systems, routing logic, and machine cycle times.
- Analyze line balancing, equipment utilization, queue behavior, and production bottlenecks.
- Run scenario simulations to evaluate factory layout changes, capacity improvements, and future production scaling.
- Collaborate with Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, Equipment Design, and Factory Planning teams to integrate layouts into simulation models and evaluate material flow.
- Translate factory layouts and production data into data-driven models that inform manufacturing decisions.
What You Need:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Operations Research, or related field.
- 5+ years of experience in industrial engineering, manufacturing systems modeling, or factory simulation.
- Hands-on experience with discrete event simulation and production flow modeling.
- Strong understanding of:
- Production routing and machine cycle time modeling
- Line balancing and equipment utilization
- Queue behavior and bottleneck analysis
- Manufacturing material flow systems
- Ability to translate factory layouts and production data into simulation models.
- Strong analytical and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Bonus Qualifications:
- Experience with Siemens Plant Simulation / Factory Simulation or similar tools.
- Experience with CAD-based factory layouts or manufacturing layout tools.
- Exposure to MES systems, SAP, or production routing systems.
- Experience with automated manufacturing equipment and material handling systems.
- Background in aerospace, EV, or high-rate manufacturing environments.
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 $126,700 - $158,400. 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 people@archer.com. 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 People@archer.com. All employment processes are managed by the Archer People Team.
Skills
As published by greenhouse · 9 questions · 2 written answers
Basics
First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone, Resume/CV, Cover Letter, Location
Short answers (2)
- LinkedIn Profile optional
- Website optional
Pick from a list (5)
- Are you legally authorized to work in the United States?
- Will you now, or at any point during your employment, require Archer to sponsor or petition for a nonimmigrant work visa status on your behalf? (Please note: If you hold a temporary or nonimmigrant status or work authorization, including but not limited to F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, H-1B, H-4, J-1, L-1, or EAD, please respond with "Yes" so that Archer can determine whether future sponsorship actions may be needed.)
- Consistent with company policy, employees are expected to report to work onsite at our offices. Are you open to relocating to our corporate headquarters in San Jose, CA?
- Were you referred to Archer by a current employee?
- By selecting YES, I consent to receive recruiting SMS messages from Archer Aviation at the phone number provided on above. optional
Written answers (2)
- What are your base ($USD) expectations?
- If you were referred, please provide the name of the employee.