Senior Manager, Military Airworthiness & Civil Certification, Merlin Labs

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Merlin Labs - Senior Manager, Military Airworthiness & Civil Certification

Company Description:

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:

Are you highly experienced in US Military Airworthiness processes, with deep expertise in certification and compliance for advanced defense aviation systems? Have you managed Airworthiness programs for complex avionics?  Do you excel in complex, fast-paced environments where your knowledge is pivotal to groundbreaking aerospace innovations? If you are looking for a senior role where you can leverage your extensive experience in military airworthiness to have a significant impact on the future of defense aviation, then the Senior Manager of Military Airworthiness and Civil Certification role at Merlin Labs could be the perfect fit for you!

Responsibilities:

• Lead the execution of military airworthiness programs, ensuring alignment with both project goals and regulatory requirements.
• Serve as a liaison with military certification bodies, such as the Department of Defense (DoD) and other international military regulators.
• Ensure strict compliance with military certification standards, including MIL-HDBK-516C, MIL-STD-882, and other relevant military regulations.
• Prepare airworthiness documentation, including airworthiness plans and compliance matrices as well as support development of and author detailed safety assessments, substantiation data and compliance reports.
• Advise senior leadership on airworthiness risks and certification strategies, playing a critical role in program decisions.
• Mentor and guide junior team members in military airworthiness process and best practices.
• Provide expertise in airworthiness process, certification audits, and system integration to ensure that all Merlin military systems are compliant and safe for mission use.
• Support the execution of civil certification programs including Supplemental Type Certificate and Foreign STC validations.

 Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field, or significant equivalent experience in military airworthiness.
• 10+ years of experience in managing and supporting reportable military airworthiness programs, with a proven track record of successfully managing and achieving military type certificate/military flight release authorization for advanced military aerospace systems.
• Expert-level knowledge of military airworthiness standards and regulations, including MIL-HDBK-516, MIL-STD-882, and other DoD or NATO standards.
• Extensive experience working directly with Military Program Sponsoring Branches and Technical Airworthiness Authorities and managing high-level regulatory relationships.
• U.S. Citizenship and the eligibility to obtain and hold a US DoD Security Clearance.

Nice to Haves:

• 5+ years in managing FAA Supplemental Type Certificate programs for avionics on Part 23/25 aircraft.
• Expertise in leading certification processes for high-criticality aerospace systems, including avionics, flight controls, propulsion systems, and integrated software.
• Background or familiarity insafety analysis techniques such as Functional Hazard Assessments (FHAs), System Safety Assessments (SSAs), and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA).
• Background or familiarity with military airworthiness or FAA Supplemental Type Certificates for new and novel technologies; navigating Special Conditions and Issue Papers and with regulators.
• Background or familiarity with machine learning based software, cyber security in aviation or human factors.
• Experience working with military flight release programs, and familiarity with experimental airworthiness certification.
• Proven leadership in ensuring compliance for systems across a range of military platforms, such as UAVs, fixed-wing aircraft, and rotorcraft.
• Prior experience as a military engineer, pilot, flight engineer or deep understanding of military operational environments is a strong advantage.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and technical writing skills, with a demonstrated ability to influence and engage senior stakeholders.
• Current active security clearance
• This role offers a rare opportunity to lead airworthiness efforts on the most cutting-edge military aerospace projects at Merlin, providing key leadership to ensure that our defense aviation systems meet the highest standards of safety, certification, and performance.

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 people@merlinlabs.com.

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