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Merlin Labs (NASDAQ: MRLN) is a publicly traded aerospace and defense company developing autonomous flight systems for commercial and military aircraft. The company has proven its Merlin Pilot autonomy platform through hundreds of autonomous flights and operates test facilities in New Zealand, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.
You will own certification work directly as a hands-on airworthiness and certification engineer. You will lead compliance activities for defined certification workstreams, resolve complex compliance challenges, interface with regulatory authorities (military and civil), and mentor junior and mid-level engineers.
Key responsibilities include:
- Execute certification strategy and technical approach for major programs or product lines
- Lead certification documentation and compliance activities for complex technical areas (structures, systems, avionics, flight controls)
- Develop and apply expertise in military and industry airworthiness standards (MIL-SPECs, MIL-STDs, DEF STANs, JSSG-2001, MIL-HDBK-516)
- Author and manage Issue Papers, Certification Review Items, and Military Certification Review Items through closure
- Interface directly with regulatory representatives and airworthiness authorities (USAF, U.S. Army Aviation, NAVAIR, FAA, EASA)
- Drive certification program schedules and identify/mitigate compliance risks
- Support civil certification programs using 14 CFR Part 21/23/25 and advisory circulars
- Manage regulatory audits, conformity inspections, and test witnessing
- Contribute to standardizing and scaling Merlin's airworthiness and certification processes
- Manage Type Inspection Authorization prerequisites and approvals
- Oversee the designee program including appointment and resource registry
This role offers ownership over meaningful technical certification work with opportunity to broaden across both military and civil aviation domains.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field
- 6–9 years of aerospace certification experience with direct interface to airworthiness or certification authorities
- Proven ability to work independently and within cross-functional engineering teams
- Direct, hands-on experience taking military airworthiness or civil certification programs from certification basis development through closure
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and project management capability
- Working knowledge of 14 CFR Part 21, 23, 25, and applicable advisory circulars
- Demonstrated ability to interface with military airworthiness authorities (USAF, U.S. Army Aviation, NAVAIR, MAA) and conduct regulatory agency meetings
- U.S. citizenship and active Secret clearance or clear path to one (as required by program assignment)
- Working knowledge of military airworthiness standards sufficient to lead an existing program independently
Nice to haves: Deep civil certification/validation experience with FAA (Part 23/25) and/or EASA (CS-23/25); systems engineering principles (requirements decomposition, V&V planning, configuration management); software and hardware assurance standards (DO-178C, DO-254, MIL-STD-882); safety assessment methodologies (FHA, FMEA/FMECA, FTA, common cause analysis); emerging aerospace technologies (electric propulsion, UAVs, advanced air mobility); FAA military certification processes and Military Certification Branch interaction.
