Director, Business Operations

Merlin Labs•Washington, DC

About The Position

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. This role is for an operational leader who thrives at the intersection of revenue, execution, and scale. You bring structure to ambiguity, build systems that enable growth, and ensure teams are aligned, efficient, and operating at a high standard. You are comfortable operating as a peer to senior commercial leaders while also acting as a force multiplier for the Chief Revenue Officer. You translate business goals into operating rhythms, processes, and measurable outcomes. You are highly collaborative, data-driven, and focused on driving clarity, accountability, and performance across the organization.

Requirements

7-10 years of experience in business operations, revenue operations, strategy, or commercial leadership roles
Deep experience with Salesforce, including ownership of pipeline management, forecasting, reporting, and data integrity within a revenue organization
Experience in aerospace, defense, technology, or other complex, regulated industries
Proven ability to build and scale operational systems supporting revenue organizations
Strong experience with forecasting, pipeline management, and performance analytics
Track record of driving cross-functional initiatives with measurable business impact
Strong analytical and structured problem-solving skills
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting government contracting, defense programs, or enterprise sales cycles
Familiarity with long-cycle sales, complex deal structures, and program-based revenue models
Background in management consulting, revenue operations, or high-growth startups
Experience working closely with CROs or senior commercial leadership teams
Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, fast-scaling environments
Strong financial acumen, including experience partnering with Finance on planning and forecasting

Responsibilities

Partner closely with the Chief Revenue Officer to drive operational excellence across the commercial organization
Establish and manage the operating cadence for the CRO organization (forecasting, pipeline reviews, QBRs, metrics tracking)
Own Salesforce as the operational backbone of the commercial organization, driving data integrity, pipeline visibility, forecasting accuracy, and scalable reporting
Build and scale core business operations infrastructure, including forecasting models, pipeline management, and performance dashboards
Drive cross-functional alignment between Business Development, Programs, Finance, and Operations to support revenue growth and program execution
Own and refine revenue forecasting, pipeline health, and reporting, ensuring accuracy and visibility for executive leadership
Lead strategic planning and execution for the CRO organization, including annual planning and target setting
Identify and implement process improvements to increase efficiency, consistency, and scalability across the commercial function
Support deal execution by partnering on pricing strategy, deal structuring, and approvals as needed
Build executive-level materials and insights to support decision-making, Board discussions, and investor updates
Act as a connective layer across teams, ensuring clear communication, accountability, and follow-through on key initiatives