Staff Engineer, Flight Controls

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.

Who you are:

You are an experienced flight controls engineer who wants to contribute to making airplanes that fly themselves. You are familiar with fixed wing aircraft and the classical and modern methods used to control them automatically. You know how to use industry standard tools for this work, and you are excited to work on applying them to a new and novel application.

Responsibilities:

• Design and implement flight controls for our aircraft autonomy system.
• Write requirements for high level automation functions and low level flight control.
• Help create and use the simulation tools needed for development and testing including Simulink control law modeling, analysis using MATLAB and Python.
• Participate in flight testing to verify control law performance on multiple aircraft types.
• Write, test, and document Simulink control law models according to Merlin’s development standards, and participate in certification activities.
• Collaborate across Merlin to develop novel, certifiable systems to solve the toughest problems in aviation and autonomy.

Qualifications:

• 15 + years of experience developing control systems for fixed wing aircraft, with demonstrated understanding of fixed wing aircraft dynamics, classical and modern control design / analysis
• Experience decomposing systems requirements into high level requirements for both outer loop and inner loop control design
• Experience working in Model Based Development and certification of flight control systems, including proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink or another model-based development toolset
• Experience designing, implementing, and testing software for real-time systems
• Experience developing certified software under RTCA DO-178
• BS in Aerospace/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering

Nice to Haves:

• MS/PhD in Aerospace Engineering and/or Controls
• Experience developing aircraft simulations using system identification of flight test data to facilitate the rapid design and testing of flight control systems
• Experience analyzing certification guidance materials for impact on automatic control system design
• Flight test experience writing test cards to validate control system performance and perform failure testing
• Pilots license
• Proficiency in C/C++ or Python

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.