The Role
About You:
Merlin is building the world’s most capable non-human pilot. As VP of Air Vehicle Integration & Hardware Development, you’ll lead the team responsible for adapting and integrating the Merlin Pilot autonomy system across a fleet of aircraft—from Part 23 and Part 25 airframes to Group 2 UAS. You’ll define how autonomy meets airworthiness: taking ownership of aircraft adaptation, avionics and wiring, mechanical integration, environmental qualification, and configuration management that enables safe, certifiable, and repeatable flight. You’ll work closely with Systems Engineering, Autonomy Software, Compute Platform Integration & Test, Flight Test, and Certification to deliver aircraft that are ready for autonomy at scale.
Responsibilities:
- Lead all aspects of aircraft integration and adaptation for the Merlin Pilot across multiple platforms.
- Define and deliver integration plans covering avionics architecture, wiring, structural installation, power and cooling, EMI/EMC, and ICDs.
- Oversee mechanical and electrical design, environmental qualification (DO-160), and airworthiness compliance (ARP4754A, ARP4761).
- Develop and operate systems-integration labs, SILs, HILs, and flight-test instrumentation—ensuring high fidelity and uptime.
- Manage suppliers for harnesses, LRUs, racks, and test services; own quality, delivery, and cost.
- Establish configuration management discipline, engineering release, and traceability from requirements through test.
- Build, lead, and mentor a multi-disciplinary hardware organization focused on safety, learning, and execution velocity.
- Partner with leadership to hit ground, taxi, and flight-test milestones that move autonomy from lab to sky.
- Develop strong relationships with suppliers and target airframe OEMs to enable on-time delivery of Merlin autonomy capabilities to end users
Qualification:
- 12+ years in aircraft systems or integration leadership, with 5+ years managing multi-disciplinary hardware teams delivering to flight.
- Proven record delivering certified or certifiable aircraft integrations under Part 23, 25, or equivalent military programs.
- Deep technical expertise in avionics architecture, wiring design, grounding/bonding, EMI/EMC, and power distribution.
- Hands-on experience planning and executing DO-160 environmental testing.
- Strong background in configuration management, supplier oversight, and flight-test readiness.
- Excellent communicator who drives alignment across hardware, software, certification, and program functions.
- Ideal candidate would have or have held appropriate FAA DER delegations
Nice to Have
- DO-254 experience in custom electronics or avionics packaging.
- Integration of advanced sensors (radar, EO/IR, RF links).
- Familiarity with autonomy payloads or ASTM F3269.
- Active or prior U.S. security clearance.
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The Company
What We Do
All of the sky, none of the limits. Merlin Labs is building the autonomous infrastructure for the sky above us, enabling goods, and eventually people, to fly without pilots. The Merlin Labs team is building the definitive autonomy system for all things that fly. We’re creating sophisticated software and hardware that fulfill the functions of a human pilot.
