Staff Manufacturing Engineer, Paint

Archer•Santa Clara, CA

1d•$151,680 - $189,600

About The Position

At Archer, we’re building in-house paint and finish capabilities for our high-volume eVTOL program—blending aerospace quality and certification rigor with automotive-level automation and throughput. The Staff Manufacturing Engineer – Paint will lead and define the end-to-end paint process, commission the paint line, and develop a scalable paint “recipe” that can be replicated across future production sites. This role partners closely with cross-functional internal teams and external paint system integrators and suppliers to bring production-ready paint solutions to life.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Manufacturing, Mechanical, Aerospace, Materials Engineering, or equivalent
5+ years of hands-on experience developing and running industrial paint/coating processes in aerospace and/or automotive manufacturing; experience with both manual and automated application systems required
Demonstrated experience specifying and commissioning paint booths, pretreatment lines, ovens, robotics, and paint application equipment, including managing supplier FAT/SAT
Strong background in process control tools (SPC, FMEA, control plans), root-cause problem solving, and NPI-to-production ramp methodologies
Working knowledge of coating chemistries, VOC and environmental controls, and paint booth airflow and filtration design
Proficiency with 2D and 3D CAD tools to generate manufacturing layouts, assembly models, and detailed part drawings
Strong project management, cross-functional communication, and supplier management skills; ability to author technical specifications and lead technical acceptance testing
Ability to stay organized and effective in a fast-paced, highly dynamic environment
Willingness to travel up to 10% domestically and internationally

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with aerospace quality and regulatory expectations (FAA/EASA-style artifacts) is a strong plus
Prior experience in high-throughput automotive paint environments or automation-heavy OEM paint shops
Experience painting composite structures, including adhesion, outgassing, and cure-related considerations
NX software experience
Experience scaling production lines from prototype through full-rate production
Experience with PLM, MES, and ERP systems
Hands-on experience programming and troubleshooting industrial automation (PLC, robots, conveyors, etc.)

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end development of paint and coating processes for composite and metallic aircraft structures
Define paint line concepts and produce detailed equipment and system procurement specifications
Partner with Industrial Design and Design Engineering to translate aesthetic, durability, and tolerancing requirements into manufacturable paint solutions
Collaborate with Materials & Processes to qualify coatings, surface prep requirements, chemistries, corrosion protection, and ensure compatibility with bonding and downstream assembly processes
Lead supplier selection and technical integration, including FAT/SAT, installation oversight, commissioning, and handoff to production
Develop control plans, work instructions, process parameters, SPC charts, and poka-yoke for critical operations
Design and deploy automation where it increases throughput and consistency, balancing capital investment against part-rate and scalability targets
Lead NPI-to-production qualification, including pilot builds, capability studies, first-article acceptance, lessons learned, and ramp risk mitigation
Ensure environmental, health & safety, and permitting compliance in partnership with EH&S and local regulatory teams
Troubleshoot quality escapes, lead root-cause analyses, and implement corrective and preventive actions; support warranty and field touch-up processes as needed
Develop robust fixturing and material handling solutions to support paint operations