Staff Software Engineer, Backend

Staff Software Engineer, Backend

San Jose, California, United States

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

We are looking for an experienced Staff Backend Software Engineer to lead the design, development, and scaling of backend systems for Archer's aviation products. This role is central to building the cloud infrastructure and service architecture that powers our modern aviation platform.

You'll work closely with cross-functional teams across engineering, data, operations, and aerospace to deliver secure, performant, and reliable backend services.

What You'll Do

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable backend systems and APIs to support Archer's ride-sharing and airline operational platforms.
• Build cloud-native applications and services using Python and AWS technologies.
• Lead architectural design and system integrations, ensuring systems are modular, efficient, and secure.
• Develop infrastructure-as-code using Terraform or AWS CDK to provision and manage backend environments.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to define technical requirements and translate them into robust implementations.
• Own the full development lifecycle—from design and development to deployment, monitoring, and maintenance.
• Conduct code reviews, enforce engineering best practices, and mentor fellow engineers.
• Monitor system performance and reliability, and respond to production issues with effective debugging and root cause analysis.

What You Need

• Small but mighty, 0 to 1 builder mentality.
• BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science or a related technical field.
• 7+ years of backend software engineering experience, with a proven track record of delivering scalable backend systems.
• Expert-level proficiency in Python for backend application development.
• Strong experience with AWS, including services such as Lambda, API Gateway, S3, DynamoDB, ECS/Fargate, etc.
• Proficiency with infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform or AWS CDK.
• Deep understanding of RESTful API design, microservices architecture, and distributed systems.
• Experience with performance tuning, system monitoring, and observability tools.
• Excellent debugging, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills across technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience with data modeling and working with SQL and NoSQL databases (e.g., Postgres, DynamoDB).
• Background in high-availability, real-time systems or event-driven architectures.
• Prior experience in aerospace, transportation, or ride share industries.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and container orchestration tools (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).

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 $172,800.00 - $210,000.00. Actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.