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Archer · 1 hour ago

Staff Manufacturing Engineer, Paint

Santa Clara, CA

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

$150K/yr - $167K/yr

5+ years exp

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. The Staff Manufacturing Engineer - Paint role will lead process development, equipment selection, supplier integration, and production ramp for surface preparation, primer, basecoat, clearcoat, masking/demasking, curing/oven systems, and final inspection/repair workflows.

AerospaceAir TransportationElectric VehicleManufacturing

No H1B

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end development of paint and coating processes (pretreatment, primer, base, clear, specialty coatings) suited to composite and metallic aircraft structures

Define paint line concepts (booths, pretreatment, ovens/cure, conveyors/handling, robotics/automation, filtration and airflow topology) and produce equipment procurement specs

Partner with Industrial Design and Design Engineering to translate aesthetic and tolerancing requirements into processable paint solutions

Work with the Materials & Processes Team to qualify coatings, surface prep requirements, chemistries, corrosion protection, and ensure compatibility with bonding/assembly processes

Manage supplier selection, technical integration, FAT/SAT, installation oversight, and handover to production

Develop control plans, work instructions, process parameters (temperature, humidity, air balance, film thickness, bake cycles), SPC charts, and poka-yoke for critical steps

Design and deploy automation where it increases throughput and consistency (robotic application, automated masking/demasking, part tracking). Balance capital vs. part-rate tradeoffs

Lead NPI-to-production qualification: pilot runs, capability studies, first-article acceptance, lessons-learned, and ramp risk management

Ensure environmental, health & safety, and permitting compliance (VOC control, filtration/waste handling, hazardous materials management) and work with EH&S and local permitting teams

Troubleshoot quality escapes, run RCAs and implement corrective/preventive actions; support warranty/field touch-up processes

Develop robust fixturing and material handling solutions

Qualification

Industrial paint processesPaint booth specificationProcess control tools2D & 3D CADSupplier managementAerospace quality standardsIndustrial automationCoating chemistriesProject management

Required

Bachelor's or advanced degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Materials Engineering or equivalent experience

5+ years hands-on experience developing and running industrial paint/coating processes in aerospace or automotive manufacturing (or combination). Experience with both manual and automated application systems required

Demonstrated experience specifying and commissioning paint booths, pretreatment lines, ovens, robotics and paint application equipment, and managing supplier FAT/SAT

Experience with 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 air filtration/airflow design for paint booths

Proficiency using 2D & 3D CAD to generate manufacturing layouts, assembly models, and detailed part drawings for fabrication

Strong project management, cross-functional communication, and supplier management skills. Ability to write technical specs and run technical acceptance tests

Able to maintain organization and focus in a highly dynamic environment