Responsibilities:- Own delivery of complex, cross-functional aerospace and defense programs-spanning autonomy development, flight test, integration, and certification.
- Drive technical execution rhythms across engineering, systems integration, certification, flight test, and business stakeholders.
- Serve as the central point of coordination for internal teams, subcontractors, and government customers-ensuring alignment, transparency, and trust.
- Define and maintain detailed program plans, including scope, milestones, dependencies, and risk mitigation strategies.
- Identify blockers early and drive resolution through structured problem-solving and escalation.
- Shape and manage program scopes and deliverables in alignment with contractual, technical, and business objectives.
- Support capture and proposal efforts by developing cost estimates, technical inputs, and schedules.
- Lead stakeholder communications-from internal reviews to formal customer engagements and milestone briefings.
- Build scalable processes and tools that improve execution velocity and visibility across projects.
- Travel up to 25% to support key integration events, flight test campaigns, and customer engagements.
Qualifications:- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field.
- 5+ years of experience managing complex technical programs-ideally within aerospace, defense, or autonomy.
- Demonstrated success delivering integrated hardware-software systems under high accountability.
- Technical fluency-you can engage deeply with engineers and recognize risks and tradeoffs.
- Expert-level project management skills-tools, methods, and the ability to bring order to chaos.
- Strong communicator-able to engage diverse technical and non-technical audiences.
- Proven ability to work within dynamic environments and adapt to evolving priorities.
- Ability to obtain a U.S. Secret Security Clearance.
Nice to Have:- Active U.S. Security Clearance.
- Experience leading defense programs with DoD and/or FAA certification elements.
- Background in autonomous systems, flight control, or avionics integration.
- Familiarity with U.S. DoD airworthiness, flight test planning, and acquisition processes.
This position is based on-site at Merlin HQ in Boston, MA.
Once you're here, you'll enjoy a variety of on-site perks designed to make your workday enjoyable and convenient. These include catered lunches featuring a rotating menu of delicious options, an assortment of snacks to keep you fueled throughout the day, and a selection of beverages, including coffee, tea, and other drinks, to keep you refreshed.
Our goal is to create an environment where you can thrive both professionally and personally
Merlin Labs offers an innovative, entrepreneurial, and team-focused startup environment. We also offer a top-notch benefits package (health, dental, life, unlimited vacation, and 401k with match) and work/life integration. Being part of the Merlin team allows you to become part of a small team that supports professional development while working together to achieve our mission.
