About the Role

Director of Flight Test

About Merlin: 

Merlin is a venture backed aerospace startup building a non-human pilot to enable both reduced crew and uncrewed flight. Backed by some of the world’s leading investors, Merlin is scaling alongside our customers to begin leveraging autonomy today to solve some of aviation’s biggest challenges.

About You: 

You are a proven leader in aerospace flight test, with hands-on experience in experimental and certification aircraft programs. You excel at navigating the complexities of first flights, envelope expansion, and certification paths for new aviation technologies. You bring a balance of technical expertise, operational discipline, and visionary leadership that enables you to safely manage the uncertainties inherent in experimental and prototype flight testing. You are motivated by pushing the boundaries of flight and shaping the future of aviation.

About the Company

Merlin Labs is a leading U.S.-based developer of AI-powered, autonomous flight technology designed to bring takeoff-to-touchdown autonomy to both legacy and next-generation aircraft. Their flagship product, the Merlin Pilot, translates the skills of a human pilot into software, enabling aircraft to operate autonomously across a wide range of missions and platforms, including tankers, transports, turboprops, rotorcraft, and uncrewed systems. Merlin’s technology is aircraft-agnostic and is being deployed in both civil and military aviation, with a focus on rigorous testing, certification, and integration with air traffic control systems. The company has logged over 800 hours of autonomous flight and is advancing toward full certification, with test facilities in the U.S. and New Zealand.

People interested in working at Merlin Labs will appreciate the company’s mission-driven culture and its position at the forefront of aviation innovation. Merlin is trusted by leading industry investors, governments, and regulators, and has secured over $100 million in awarded contracts from military customers. The company is rapidly growing, with a team of more than 100 experts in AI and certified aviation software, and is preparing for a public listing in early 2026. Employees have the opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking advancements in autonomous flight, work alongside top talent, and help shape the future of national security and civil aviation through safe, reliable, and scalable autonomy solutions.
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Merlin Labs

Director of Flight Test

Type
full-time
Department
Flight Test
Location
North Kingstown, RI
Salary
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