Merlin Labs

Director

• Lead all experimental and prototype flight test activities, from concept through certification.
• Develop and execute test strategies for first flights, envelope expansion, systems validation, and performance testing.
• Oversee creation of flight test plans, safety risk assessments, hazard analyses, and flight readiness reviews.
• Partner closely with engineering teams to validate new designs, avionics, autonomy, propulsion, and control systems under test.
• Direct the work of test pilots, flight test engineers, instrumentation specialists, and ground crews during experimental campaigns.
• Ensure adherence to FAA/EASA/DoD experimental test standards and experimental certificate requirements.
• Manage relationships with regulatory authorities, DERs, and other stakeholders to align test programs with certification objectives.
• Provide leadership in accident/incident prevention, emergency response planning, and operational risk management.
• Present technical and program-level updates to senior leadership, partners, and certification bodies.
• Foster a culture of safety, innovation, and technical excellence within the test organization.

Director of Flight Test

Systems Engineer

• About Merlin: Merlin is a venture-backed aerospace startup building a non-human pilot to enable reduced crew and uncrewed flight
• About You: Systems thinker who translates mission-level goals into technical direction for avionics and autonomous systems, with safety-critical software and integration expertise
• Provide systems-level leadership across the full product lifecycle, including architecture, integration, V&V, and certification
• Translate high-level mission and customer requirements into well-defined system architectures and technical requirements
• Lead design and integration of complex autonomous systems: avionics, flight controls, navigation, perception, and human-machine interfaces
• Bridge customer and technical domains to reflect stakeholder needs and regulatory drivers in the technical roadmap
• Build and lead a systems engineering team with expertise in autonomy, avionics, and safety-critical systems
• Develop and manage systems engineering processes, tools, and infrastructure, including requirements traceability, interface control, and MBSE frameworks
• Serve as technical lead for architecture reviews, design trades, FMEAs, and hazard analyses across subsystems
• Collaborate with engineering, product, and regulatory teams to ensure safe, certifiable system performance
• Engage with civil or defense certification authorities (e.g., FAA, DoD) and ensure alignment with applicable regulatory frameworks
• On-site at Merlin HQ in Boston, MA with flexible hybrid schedule

Director of Flight Test

Vice President of Systems Engineering