System Integration & Labs Manager

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:

We are seeking a Systems Integration & Labs Manager to lead the design, build, and operation of HIL, AIR and SIL environments that support flight controls development, autonomy validation, and multi-aircraft integration.

This role owns the physical integration layer of the simulation ecosystem — ensuring stable, repeatable, and scalable deployment of hardware-in-the-loop and lab-based validation environments across multiple aircraft platforms.

Responsibilities:

1. Test Environment Leadership

• Lead the design, build, and lifecycle management of HIL, AIR, and SIL environments

• Establish configuration control standards for hardware, networking, and physical integration

• Ensure lab infrastructure scales cleanly across multiple aircraft platforms

2. Integration Stability & Discipline

• Implement structured integration processes

• Define and enforce bench configuration versioning and compatibility practices

• Partner with the Simulation Platform pillar to ensure clean deployment of platform-defined topologies

3. Team Leadership

• Manage and grow a team of integration engineers

• Set technical standards for hardware integration, signal integrity, and deployment

• Provide escalation support during integration and validation events

4. Cross-Functional Coordination

• Collaborate with Flight Dynamics and Simulation Platform teams

• Support flight test preparation and remote integration events

• Interface with Systems, Autonomy, and Compute Platform teams to align integration timelines

Required Qualifications:

• 8+ years of experience in systems integration, HIL/SIL environments, or complex hardware/software integration

• Experience leading integration efforts across evolving system configurations
  Strong understanding of real-time I/O, embedded interfaces, and hardware-in-the-loop validation

• Experience managing technical teams in a multidisciplinary engineering environment

• Demonstrated ability to bring structure and discipline to evolving integration workflows

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with aerospace or autonomy systems

• Experience deploying virtualized compute infrastructure in lab environments

• Familiarity with configuration management and compatibility versioning strategies

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.

Merlin Labs is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, military service or obligation or disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. 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.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

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.