Flight Test Safety Program 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.

Position Summary

The Flight Test Safety Program Manager is the functional owner of flight test operational safety and the Flight Test Safety Management System (FTSMS). The role manages the flight test hazard and risk process maintains the Flight Test Emergency Response Plan leads investigations and drives a proactive safety culture across all test activities. The Flight Test Safety Program Manager has clear authority to challenge and stop unsafe test activity and serves as a key interface between Flight Test Flight Safety Archer Air (for commercial alignment) Certification and site EHS on safetyoftest issues.

Key Responsibilities

Hazard Identification and Risk Management

• Actively identify potential hazards across all flight test operations (aircraft ground airport environment airspace and support equipment) and maintain a structured Flight Test Hazard Log.
• Lead Safety Risk Management (SRM) for flight test activities including documented risk assessments for new test cards envelope expansion new configurations routes and changes to test areas.
• Participate in flight test planning safetyoftest reviews and test readiness reviews to ensure hazards mitigations and risk acceptance are explicitly captured and agreed before execution.
• Conduct routine inspections and safety observations across hangars flight lines control rooms and support areas engaging personnel at all levels to surface latent and emerging hazards.

Flight Test SMS and Safety Governance

• Develop implement and maintain the Flight Test Safety Management System (FTSMS) in alignment with Archers enterprise SMS and relevant regulatory guidance.
• Define and track flight test safety performance indicators and leading metrics (e.g. event rates exceedances highpotential near misses deviations from procedures) and routinely present trends to leadership.
• Lead a periodic Flight Test Safety Review/board to review hazards SRM outcomes incidents risk acceptances and corrective actions with Flight Test Flight Safety Engineering Operations and EHS.
• Manage flight test safety reporting channels (occurrence reports hazard reports safety concerns) ensuring reports are captured evaluated prioritized and tracked through closure.
  
  

Emergency Preparedness and Response

• Own and maintain the Flight Test Emergency Response Plan (ERP) annex including procedures notification chains and coordination with airport authorities ARFF and local agencies.
• Plan schedule and conduct flighttestfocused emergency drills and exercises (tabletop and functional) document findings and drive timely closure of identified gaps.
• Support premishap planning and notification procedures and act as a key safety lead during flight test emergencies or significant events including participation in postevent reviews and debriefs.

Investigations Assurance and Reporting

• Lead or colead investigations of flight test incidents occurrences and highpotential near misses using recognized investigation and root cause analysis methods.
• Produce clear technically sound investigation reports identifying root causes and contributing factors and define corrective and preventive actions; ensure actions are tracked to closure and lessons learned feed back into procedures training and SRM.
• Conduct targeted flight test safety audits/assessments of operations procedures and manuals to verify compliance with Archer standards SMS requirements and applicable regulations using established flight test SMS audit concepts as a guide.
• Prepare concise datadriven safety reports and presentations for Flight Test leadership the Sr Director Flight Safety & Chief Test Pilot and senior management highlighting trends emerging risks and key action status.

Culture Training and Engagement

• Foster a strong safety culture within flight testing by being visibly present in daytoday operations engaging with pilots test personnel engineers technicians and operations staff.
• Facilitate regular safety discussions (briefings debriefings toolbox talks) focused on current hazards recent events and upcoming test risk.
• Partner with Training Flight Safety and EHS to develop and maintain flight testspecific safety training including SMS awareness human factors safetyoftest expectations and emergency response roles.
• Promote open reporting and justculture principles in how hazards incidents and errors are raised investigated and discussed.

Program Management and CrossFunctional Interface

• Act as the program manager for Flight Test Safety maintaining a clear roadmap prioritized action register and status tracking for safety initiatives and corrective actions.
• Integrate safety requirements into test plans route/procedure development for proving activities management of change and test readiness processes affecting flight test operations.
• Collaborate closely with the Sr Director Flight Safety & Chief Test Pilot Flight Test leadership Archer Air safety/operations (for commercial alignment) Certification Engineering and site EHS to align on risk tolerances and safetyoftest decisions.
• Coordinate with engineering and certification teams on safetyoftest aspects of new designs and modifications while leaving formal certification findings to DER/ODA or other delegated authorities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors degree.
• Minimum 5 years of aviation safety experience or formal aviation safety training (e.g. airline rotorcraft business aviation military UAS/eVTOL or flight test environment).
• Demonstrated knowledge of safety investigation techniques root cause analysis and technical report writing.
• Strong understanding of risk assessment and mitigation strategies safety audits and continuous improvement processes.
• Knowledge of human factors in aviation and its application to flight and ground test operations.
• Ability to analyze safety data and trends anticipate potential risks and recommend targeted mitigation strategies.
• Proven ability to communicate complex safety issues clearly and effectively both verbally and in writing to technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to uphold high standards of integrity and ethical behavior maintaining safety as the top priority even when in tension with schedule or other business pressures.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

Desired Qualifications

• Pilot certifications (e.g. private commercial) or other relevant operational experience in flight operations or flight test.
• Experience implementing or working within a formal Safety Management System (SMS) preferably in flight test Part 135 or Part 121 environments.
• Direct experience with manned flight test safety proving runs route/procedure validation or test conduct in fixedwing rotorcraft or eVTOL programs.
• Familiarity with commercial airline or air taxi operations and the interfaces between test programs and entryintoservice.
• Professional safety or aviation certifications (e.g. CSP CFIOSH ASQ or equivalent).
• Experience collaborating with FAA or other aviation authorities on safety or operational matters. Knowledgeable with FAA Order 4040.26C

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 Archers People Team at. Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

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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.

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