Senior Program Manager, Air Vehicle Integration

Merlin Labs•Boston, MA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Merlin is a venture-backed aerospace startup focused on enabling reduced crew and uncrewed flight through non-human pilots. As the Senior Program Manager, Air Vehicle Integration (AVI), you will be the program owner responsible for integrating the Merlin Pilot onto various airframes. This includes all phases from initial desktop and simulation testing through bench integration, flight testing, certification, and operational deployment. You will manage a portfolio of platform-integration programs for both U.S. government end-users and prime-contractor partners, ensuring rigor, scalability, and predictability in integration processes. This role is part of the Programs organization and collaborates closely with AVI, autonomy, safety, flight test, supply chain, and business development teams, working alongside two embedded Technical Program Managers who handle day-to-day technical execution.

Requirements

10+ years in program or project leadership, ideally in aerospace, autonomy, defense, or safety-critical dual-use systems.
Proven success leading complex programs that combine physical aircraft integration with software/autonomy across cross-functional teams.
Direct experience with aircraft airworthiness and certification
Experience managing hardware integration and subcontractors/suppliers as schedule drivers, not just software workstreams.
Strong command of the full program lifecycle from capture to fielding, including contract structures, CDRLs, SOWs, IMS/WBS, and earned-value metrics.
Proven ability to lead a cross functional team and ability to context-switch across strategy, execution, and team dynamics over multiple efforts.
Fluency with program tooling: Jira, requirements management (e.g., Jama), and IMS/scheduling tools.
Strong systems thinking and technical curiosity; exceptional listening, communication, and stakeholder-alignment skills.
Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret security clearance.
Willingness to travel and work onsite at integration, flight-test, and partner locations as programs require.

Nice To Haves

Active U.S. Secret (or higher) clearance.
Experience integrating autonomy, mission systems, or flight-control systems onto crewed or uncrewed aircraft.
Familiarity with government acquisition and test pathways (DoD 5000 series, AFWERX, DIU, SOF/SOCOM).
Experience scaling program teams or standing up new operating models in high-growth environments.

Responsibilities

Own integration program execution for assigned airframes end to end — desktop, SITL, bench, and on-aircraft — translating mission and platform requirements into clear deployment and execution plans.
Lead the functional team, setting program strategy, milestones, and priorities while the TPMs own day-to-day technical delivery; hold engineering, hardware, and functional managers accountable to schedule and scope.
Own the airworthiness and certification path in partnership with the Certification Program Management team.
Drive Stages of Involvement (SOIs), DO-160 environmental qualification, and system-safety artifacts (ARP4761A / MIL-STD-882E), keeping the certification IMS credible and on track.
Manage hardware and subcontractor integration so that long-lead hardware availability is planned, not discovered. Treat supply/demand as a primary schedule driver.
Own schedule and financial baselines - build and maintain integrated master schedules, WBS, financial plans, and program baselines across workstreams; feed the master supply-and-program model and program dashboards.
Serve as the senior program point of contact for government customers, partners, and certification authorities — running program reviews, milestone gates, and status reporting with high accountability.
Plan and shepherd flight test in coordination with the Flight Test lead connecting test outcomes back to certification and fielding milestones.
Identify and mitigate cross-program risk before they hit delivery.
Contribute to capture and new opportunity shaping alongside Business Development and technical leads, informing proposals with realistic integration, cost, and schedule inputs.
Scale the operating model: tighten and extend the existing program rhythms, WBS frameworks, and reporting artifacts as the portfolio and team grow, and mentor across the program management organization.