Application Guide

How to Apply for Staff UI UX Designer

at Archer

🏢 About Archer

Archer is at the forefront of urban air mobility, developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to revolutionize transportation. The company's commitment to sustainability and innovation makes it a compelling place for designers who want to shape the future of mobility.

About This Role

As a Staff UI UX Designer, you will design digital interfaces and internal desktop tools for manufacturing and aircraft assembly, directly impacting how Archer builds its aircraft. You'll translate complex technical requirements into intuitive, polished interfaces, contributing to a unified design system that ensures consistency across products.

💡 A Day in the Life

Start your day by reviewing feedback from engineers on recent design specs, then jump into Figma to iterate on a wireframe for a new assembly line monitoring tool. Mid-morning, you join a cross-functional standup with product managers and developers to align on priorities. After lunch, you conduct a usability test with manufacturing technicians, then refine high-fidelity mockups based on their input. You end the day updating the design system with new components and documenting interaction patterns for the development team.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Archer Is Looking For

  • A senior/staff-level designer with 5+ years of experience, showcasing a portfolio of result-driven case studies for SaaS or complex technical interfaces, ideally in enterprise or manufacturing contexts.
  • Proficient in Figma and Adobe Creative Suite, with advanced skills in creating high-fidelity prototypes and interactive mockups to facilitate rapid engineering iteration.
  • Strong understanding of user research, interaction design, and information architecture, with the ability to synthesize findings into actionable design solutions.
  • Experienced in partnering with front-end developers to ensure seamless implementation and maintain visual UI quality across browsers and devices.

📝 Tips for Applying to Archer

1

Tailor your portfolio to highlight case studies involving complex technical interfaces (e.g., manufacturing tools, enterprise SaaS) and emphasize how your designs improved user efficiency or reduced errors.

2

In your resume, quantify the impact of your designs (e.g., 'Reduced user error by 30% through redesigned workflow' or 'Increased task completion rate by 25%').

3

Mention experience with design systems explicitly, and if possible, provide examples of how you contributed to or built a design system for technical products.

4

Research Archer's eVTOL technology and manufacturing process, and subtly reference how your design approach can support their unique workflow needs in your cover letter or portfolio.

5

Include a link to a live prototype or interactive demo in your portfolio to demonstrate your proficiency with tools like Figma and your ability to create high-fidelity prototypes.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your passion for sustainable aviation and urban mobility, and how your design skills can help Archer achieve its mission of revolutionizing transport.', 'Specific examples of designing complex technical interfaces (e.g., manufacturing dashboards, internal tools) and how you made them intuitive for specialized users.', 'Your collaborative experience working with engineers and product managers to translate technical requirements into user-friendly designs.', 'Your ability to contribute to and maintain a design system, ensuring consistency and scalability across products.']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Read about Archer's eVTOL aircraft models (e.g., Midnight) and their manufacturing process to understand the context of the internal tools you'd design.
  • → Review Archer's recent news and investor updates to grasp the company's growth stage and strategic priorities.
  • → Study Archer's brand guidelines and any publicly available design assets to align your portfolio presentation with their aesthetic.
  • → Look into competitors like Joby Aviation or Lilium to understand the broader eVTOL landscape and identify design opportunities.

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Walk me through a case study where you designed a complex technical interface for enterprise users. What was your process, and how did you measure success?
2 How do you approach designing for internal tools where users have specialized technical knowledge? Can you give an example?
3 Describe a time you had to balance conflicting requirements from engineers, product managers, and stakeholders. How did you find a solution?
4 How do you ensure your designs are implemented accurately by front-end developers? What is your handoff process?
5 What is your experience with design systems? How would you go about evolving Archer's design system for both digital interfaces and internal tools?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Submitting a generic portfolio with no case studies related to technical interfaces or enterprise products—Archer needs evidence of handling complexity.
  • Focusing solely on visual design without demonstrating understanding of user research, interaction design, or information architecture.
  • Neglecting to mention collaboration with engineers or developers, as this role requires close partnership with front-end teams.

📅 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:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Archer!

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