Application Guide
How to Apply for Sr. Platform Engineering
at Archer
🏢 About Archer
Archer is pioneering urban air mobility with electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, aiming to revolutionize transportation in cities. Working here means contributing to climate-friendly aviation and being at the forefront of aerospace innovation.
About This Role
As a Sr. Platform Engineer, you'll build and maintain the core infrastructure that enables rapid, safe deployments and empowers AI/ML teams to scale model training. Your work will directly impact the speed and reliability of developing Archer's next-generation aircraft.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might start with a stand-up with the platform team to discuss pipeline issues or new requests from AI/ML engineers. You could spend the morning writing Terraform modules for a new service, then pair with a developer to improve their self-service experience. Afternoon might involve tuning Kubernetes cluster autoscaling or reviewing a design doc for a new internal API.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Archer Is Looking For
- Has 5+ years in Platform/DevOps/SRE with deep AWS/GCP/Azure expertise and Terraform as a primary IaC tool.
- Expert in Docker and Kubernetes, with hands-on experience designing self-service platforms for dev teams.
- Proficient in Python and Go for building automation, APIs, and internal tools.
- Collaborative and comfortable working closely with AI/ML engineers to optimize infrastructure for model training and serving.
📝 Tips for Applying to Archer
Highlight specific projects where you built CI/CD pipelines that improved deployment frequency or reduced failures.
Showcase your experience with Terraform by mentioning modules or large-scale infrastructure you've managed.
Emphasize any work on self-service tooling or internal developer platforms, as this is a key responsibility.
Mention familiarity with AI/ML workflows (e.g., model training on Kubernetes) to align with Archer's focus.
Tailor your resume to include metrics (e.g., 'Reduced deployment time by 40%') to demonstrate impact.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Your passion for sustainable aviation and Archer's mission to urban air mobility.", 'Specific examples of designing scalable CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure-as-code at scale.', 'Experience building self-service platforms that empower developers without sacrificing security.', 'How your collaboration with AI/ML teams optimized infrastructure for model training or serving.']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Read Archer's latest press releases and blog posts about their eVTOL aircraft development milestones.
- → Understand the basics of eVTOL technology and the regulatory landscape (FAA certification).
- → Look into Archer's tech stack mentions (e.g., any public talks or GitHub repos).
- → Review their careers page for insights into company culture and values (e.g., sustainability, innovation).
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting a generic cover letter that doesn't mention Archer's mission or eVTOL focus.
- Overlooking the AI/ML aspect—don't just focus on general DevOps; address how you'd support ML workflows.
- Failing to demonstrate deep Terraform expertise; this is strongly preferred, so provide concrete examples.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!