Mechanical Engineer

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.

You are a hands-on mechanical engineer who thrives in fast-paced, highly collaborative startup environments and is excited by the challenge of building next-generation autonomous aerospace systems. You bring experience designing, developing, and testing complex mechanical hardware for aerospace, robotics, or other highly regulated high-performance industries.

You are comfortable owning projects from concept through production and enjoy working closely with cross-functional teams including avionics, flight controls, systems engineering, and flight test. You are detail-oriented, technically curious, and motivated by solving difficult engineering problems under aggressive timelines. You balance analytical rigor with practical execution and are energized by working on products that push the boundaries of autonomous flight.

• Design, develop, and release mechanical components and assemblies for autonomous aircraft systems including structures, enclosures, mounts, actuation systems, and integration hardware
• Support the full product development lifecycle from concept generation, CAD modeling, prototyping, testing, design iteration, and production release
• Perform mechanical analysis (structural, thermal, vibration, tolerance, etc.) to validate designs and ensure system reliability
• Collaborate closely with electrical, avionics, software, systems, manufacturing, and flight test teams to integrate hardware into aircraft platforms
• Develop engineering documentation including drawings, BOMs, test plans, validation reports, and manufacturing instructions
• Support prototype builds, integration activities, ground testing, and flight test operations
• Drive root cause investigations and implement corrective actions for mechanical failures and design issues
• Work with suppliers and manufacturing partners to support fabrication, qualification, and production readiness
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives focused on performance, manufacturability, weight reduction, reliability, and cost optimization
• Operate effectively in a rapid development environment with evolving priorities and tight execution timelines

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related engineering discipline
• 3-5 years of professional mechanical engineering experience in aerospace, autonomous systems, robotics, automotive, defense, or other high-performance hardware industries
• Strong proficiency with CAD software such as Siemens NX, CATIA, Solid Works, or similar 3D modeling tools
• Experience designing mechanical systems for dynamic or mission-critical environments
• Knowledge of mechanical analysis methods including stress, thermal, vibration, and tolerance analysis
• Experience supporting prototype development, integration, and hardware testing activities
• Familiarity with aerospace materials, manufacturing processes, and design for manufacturability principles
• Strong understanding of engineering documentation and configuration control processes
• Ability to troubleshoot complex mechanical issues and drive solutions in a collaborative environment
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally across engineering and operations teams
• Experience in autonomous aircraft, UAVs, eVTOL, robotics, or flight hardware development is highly preferred
• Hands-on mechatronics experience is a plus
• Familiarity with FAA certification environments, aerospace standards, or regulated development processes is a plus

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…