Chief Legal Officer

Overview

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.
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About You

We’re looking for a seasoned legal executive with deep experience in both venture-backed and high growth environments. You’ll serve as a key advisor to the CEO, Board, and leadership team—guiding strategic risk, ensuring regulatory compliance, and building the legal infrastructure to support scale, speed, and scrutiny.You’ll own and shape the legal function, navigate complex regulatory landscapes (FAA, DoD, ITAR, etc.), and lead negotiations with both commercial partners and government entities. This is a pivotal role for a business-minded, solutions-oriented legal leader who can translate complexity into clarity—and help build a company that lasts.

Responsibilities

• Serve as chief legal advisor to the CEO, Board, and executive team across corporate, commercial, regulatory, and compliance matters
• Oversee regulatory compliance across aerospace and defense (FAA, DoD, ITAR, EAR, etc.)
• Draft, negotiate, and manage complex agreements, including government contracts, suppliers, and strategic partnerships
• Partner cross-functionally with product, engineering, and business teams to balance speed with risk
• Support capital raises, secondary transactions, M&A, and board-level strategy
• Build and scale Merlin’s internal legal function, including management of external counsel
• Partner with People and Finance on employment law, executive comp, equity, and investigations
• Anticipate and adapt to evolving legal landscapes affecting autonomy, aviation, and dual-use technology

Qualifications

• JD from an accredited U.S. law school
• 15+ years of experience
• Legal leadership at a venture-backed tech company
• Deep familiarity with agencies such as FAA, DoD, DOT, NASA, or similar
• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating agreements; MSA’s, software licenses, subscription agreements, and NDAs
• Demonstrated ability to build legal infrastructure in fast-moving, complex environments
• Exceptional judgment, communication, and business orientation
• A collaborative, trusted leadership style—and a mindset grounded in enabling innovation

Nice to Have

• Experience supporting dual-use, defense-adjacent, or safety-critical technologies
• Familiarity with international aerospace regulations and global compliance
• SBIR/STTR or government contract negotiation experience
• Comfort advising on legal implications of autonomy, AI, and emerging technologies

This position is based on-site at Merlin HQ in Boston, MA. We offer flexible hybrid in-office schedules.

We understand that relocating for a new role is a significant decision, and we’re here to support you every step of the way. That’s why we offer comprehensive relocation assistance to help make your transition as seamless as possible. From covering moving expenses to providing guidance on finding housing, we aim to ensure your relocation experience is stress-free.

Additionally, 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.

Merlin Labs is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability status. All job offers are contingent upon the candidate passing background, and reference checks.

At this time, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship or consider candidates who require visa transfers. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship now or in the future.

If you require reasonable accommodation in completing an application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to [email protected]

Merlin Labs does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from candidates.

Seniority level

• Not Applicable

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Legal

Industries

• Software Development

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