VMS Software Engineer

Company: Archer
Location: San Jose
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

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. Role Overview We are seeking a resourceful hands-on Embedded Software Engineer to build high-reliability real-time systems. You will operate at the intersection of hardware and software, writing Modern C++ for Linux targets while leveraging Python for test automation. This is a hardware heavy role; you should be comfortable bringing up boards, debugging signals with an oscilloscope, and writing defensive code that ensures safety and performance. Key Responsibilities Embedded Development: Write efficient, robust C++ for Embedded Linux platforms. You know when to follow the rules and when to think laterally to squeeze out performance. Agile Execution : Work within an agile sprint driven framework to iterate quickly with short planning and development cycles. Hardware Interface: Write drivers and manage communications over common interlinks (Examples: CAN, Ethernet, TCP/IP, UART). You aren't afraid to reverse-engineer a protocol or write a custom driver if the standard one fails. Deep-Dive Debugging: Get your hands dirty with hardware integration and bring-up. You will troubleshoot signal integrity and protocol weirdness using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, or network sniffers. Resilient Design: Design software with a safety-first mindset. You anticipate edge cases and write defensive code that ensures deterministic behavior, even when assumptions are violated or the hardware does something unexpected. Qualifications Experience: 2–5 years of embedded software engineering Core Languages: Strong proficiency in modern C++ (11/14/17/20) for production code. Fluency in Python and Bash for data manipulation, testing, and prototyping. Mindset: You are comfortable working with ambiguity. You don’t need a manual for everything; you can figure out how things work (or why they don't) and devise creative workarounds to keep the project moving. OS: Solid understanding of Embedded Linux (kernel/user-space interactions) and how to manipulate it via the shell. Real-Time: Experience with real-time constraints and resource constrained hardware. Build Systems: Familiarity with Yocto, GTest, CMake, ansible is a plus. At Archer, we aim to attract, retain, and motivate talent with the skills and leadership needed to grow our business. We drive a pay-for-performance culture and reward performance that supports the Company’s strategy. For this position, we are targeting a base pay range of $142,800 - $220,600. Actual compensation offered will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. 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.

Keywords: Archer, Salinas , VMS Software Engineer, Engineering , San Jose, California