---
title: 'Director, AI Core Software at Merlin Labs'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/director-ai-core-software-merlin-labs-boston-a79tm5kw15h5'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-07'
---

# Director, AI Core Software at Merlin Labs

- **Company:** Merlin Labs
- **Location:** Boston, MA / San Francisco, CA
- **Compensation:** $252k–$360k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-06-16
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-07
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/merlinlabs/80dbf180-d058-4813-a67a-f43be41961a1

## Job description

About Merlin: Merlin (NASDAQ: MRLN) is a publicly traded aerospace and defense company building a non-human pilot to deliver full-stack autonomy for any aircraft from takeoff to touchdown. The Merlin Pilot autonomy system powers a growing range of aircraft and mission profiles and has been proven through hundreds of autonomous flights from Merlin's global flight test facilities, including Kerikeri, New Zealand; Quonset Point, Rhode Island; and soon, Bedford, Massachusetts. Headquartered in Boston, Merlin is expanding its organization to accelerate the development and deployment of its autonomy platform, helping customers solve some of aviation's most pressing challenges, from pilot shortages to improving flight safety. Backed by some of the world's leading investors prior to its public listing, Merlin continues to advance the certification and commercialization of autonomous flight across commercial and defense aviation.

About You: You are a technically deep software leader who has shipped production AI or autonomy systems in a safety-critical domain. You thrive at the intersection of rigorous engineering and ambitious product vision, and you know how to build and motivate world-class teams working on hard, long-horizon problems.

You hold yourself and your team to the highest standards of software quality and safety — not because the process demands it, but because you genuinely care about the integrity of what you build. You're equally comfortable reviewing a pull request, debating system architecture, and presenting a roadmap to the executive team. You want your work to matter, and there's nothing more meaningful to you than putting reliable autonomous systems into the sky.

Responsibilities:

- Define and drive the technical strategy for Merlin's AI Core platform, spanning perception, sensor fusion, decision-making, planning, and control.
- Lead, grow, and mentor a multi-disciplinary team of AI engineers, robotics engineers, and software engineers working on flight-critical autonomy software.
- Collaborate with the VP of Engineering and CTO to translate company-level objectives into clear, achievable technical roadmaps with well-defined milestones.
- Own the architecture of the AI Core stack from data pipelines and model training infrastructure through to real-time onboard inference and control.
- Establish and enforce engineering standards, code quality practices, and safety review processes appropriate for an aviation-grade software system.
- Partner closely with Flight Operations, Systems Engineering, and Certification teams to ensure AI Core software meets FAA and regulatory requirements.
- Drive integration between AI Core components and the broader avionics and vehicle management systems.
- Recruit senior engineering talent and build a culture of technical excellence, ownership, and psychological safety.
- Represent the AI Core team in cross-functional planning, risk reviews, and stakeholder communications.
- Track and evaluate emerging research and open-source developments relevant to autonomous flight, and translate promising work into product opportunities.

Qualifications:

- 10+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 5 years in Physical AI technical leadership and engineering management roles.
- Proven track record of shipping production grade AI based autonomy in a safety-critical, deterministic and highly regulated environment (aerospace, automotive, industrial, medical, or similar).
- Deep expertise in at least one of: real-time perception and sensor fusion, motion planning and control, large-scale next gen AI model training and deployment, or onboard inference systems.
- Strong command of modern software engineering practices including AI model distillation, MLOps, CI/CD, rigorous testing strategies, and design-for-safety principles.
- Experience in deploying end-to-end Data strategy to collect, ingest and curate the data for AI model training, simulation and edge deployment.
- Experience managing the managers, senior engineers and staff-level technical contributors, including performance management and career development.
- Ability to define and communicate architectural decisions across organizational boundaries, including to non-technical stakeholders.
- Proficiency in Pytorch, TensorFlow and C++ (or equivalent systems languages used in real-time embedded environments).
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to document complex technical decisions clearly and concisely.
- Comfort operating in a fast-paced, ambiguous startup environment where priorities and requirements evolve.

Nice to Have:

- Background in vehicle dynamics, vehicle control systems, or avionics/Automotive software integration.
- Familiarity with simulation-based validation, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, or digital twin development.
- Experience with airborne hardware platforms, embedded Linux, or real-time operating systems (RTOS).
- Published research or significant contributions to open-source projects in autonomy, robotics, or machine learning.
- Prior experience at a Series A–C deep tech startup.
- Pilot's license or meaningful hands-on experience with aircraft operations.

## About Merlin Labs

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Merlin Labs is a U.S.-based developer of takeoff-to-touchdown autonomy software for military and civil aircraft, building the operating system of record for autonomous flight.
- **Entity Type**: Public (Nasdaq: MRLN) – went public via SPAC merger with Inflection Point Acquisition Corp IV in 2026.
- **Headquarters**: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- **Founded**: 2019
- **Founders**: Matthew George (CEO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industries**: Aerospace & Defense, Autonomous Aviation, AI Software
- **Target customers**: Military (U.S. Special Operations Command, Air Force), civil aviation operators, aircraft OEMs
- **Mission**: To provide safe, reliable autonomy that extends the capabilities of existing fleets and unlocks next-generation missions, forging the next 100 years of American aviation.

## Products & Services
- **[Merlin Pilot](https://merlinlabs.com/)**: An aircraft-agnostic, AI-powered software platform for autonomous flight from takeoff to touchdown. Designed to adapt to any plane in operation today and in the future.
- **[Condor](https://merlinlabs.com/)**: A product family for large, multi-crew aircraft, announced in 2026, targeting high-capacity military and cargo platforms.
- **Prime Contract with USSOCOM**: Merlin is partnering with U.S. Special Operations Command to bring autonomy to the C-130J fleet, extending operational range for high-frequency routes.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed as of the latest filings. Total cumulative funding (including IPO) is **$704.3M**.
- **Key Metric**: **Revenue** – $2.194M in Q2 FY2026 (quarter ended June 30, 2026) per SEC 10-Q filing. The company is still in high-growth, pre-profit stage (Net Income: -$58.4M in Q2). **Employees** – 145 as of mid-2026, growing 26.7% YoY.
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: First Round Capital (seed lead), Inflection Point Acquisition Corp IV (SPAC sponsor), U.S. Special Operations Command (customer/partner), Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (regulatory partner).
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Over 100 hours of autonomous flight across test facilities in the U.S. and New Zealand.
  - Completed Critical Design Review for the C-130J program with USSOCOM.
  - Achieved Stage of Involvement 3 (SOI 3) from the New Zealand CAA for the Merlin Pilot’s Flight Control Computer and Automated Communication System.
  - First autonomous landing of a conventional fixed-wing aircraft at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (July 2026).
  - Acquired EpiSys Science (EpiSci) in 2024 to bolster AI/autonomy capabilities.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Aircraft-agnostic platform**: The Merlin Pilot is designed to work with any aircraft, reducing integration complexity for customers.
- **Proven autonomy**: Hundreds of hours of autonomous flight, including military-grade operations, de-risking adoption.
- **Regulatory leadership**: Early approvals from the New Zealand CAA (Part 146 Design Organization certificate, SOI 3) pave the way for commercial certification.
- **Prime military contracts**: Direct relationship with USSOCOM for the C-130J program provides a strong revenue and credibility anchor.
- **Talent density**: Engineers from top aerospace firms (Collins Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky, Aurora Flight Sciences) and a strong culture of safety and innovation.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scale the C-130J program**: Move from CDR to production and deployment with USSOCOM.
- **Expand Condor product line**: Target large, multi-crew aircraft for both military and civil markets.
- **Achieve commercial certification**: Continue working with regulators (FAA, EASA, CAA) to certify the Merlin Pilot for commercial operations.
- **Grow government and defense contracts**: Leverage the public listing and existing relationships to win additional programs.
- **Hire aggressively**: Open roles in AI, autonomy software, systems engineering, program management, and business development (22 active openings as of Sept 2026).

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: “Breaking new ground at 10,000 ft” – collaborative, respectful, and tangible work that is “in use and progressing rapidly.” High morale driven by real-world impact.
- **Work Models**: Hybrid and on-site roles available. Primary locations: Boston, MA (HQ); North Kingstown, RI; Kerikeri, New Zealand; and Washington, DC.
- **Notable Perks**: Work on one of aviation’s hardest problems with a team that includes alumni from top aerospace and defense companies. Employees have delegated authority from the regulator to approve certain aircraft design changes, empowering engineers. The company prioritizes safety and partners with best-in-class aerospace players.
- **Engineering Culture**: Strong emphasis on AI, autonomy, and software engineering. The engineering team is 39% of the workforce, with senior and specialist roles heavily represented. Open roles include Staff Software Engineer (AI Foundation Model), Autonomy Software Engineer, and Lead AI Dataloop Engineer.

## Sources
1. [Merlin Labs – Company Page](https://merlinlabs.com/company/)
2. [Merlin Labs – Homepage](https://merlinlabs.com/)
3. [Merlin Labs – Careers Page](https://merlinlabs.com/careers/)
4. [Merlin Labs – Open Roles on Lever](https://jobs.lever.co/merlinlabs)
5. [Merlin Labs – LinkedIn Page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/merlinlabs)
6. [SEC Filing – FY2026 Q2 10-Q](https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=getcompany&CIK=0002028707) (via Apollo data reference)

## Other roles at Merlin Labs

- [Assistant General Counsel](https://feeny.ai/job/assistant-general-counsel-merlin-labs-boston-c9axfez1vng8) — Boston, MA
- [Senior Development Assurance Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-development-assurance-engineer-merlin-labs-boston-2wzsbvvgp1fs) — Boston, MA
- [Flight Dynamics Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/flight-dynamics-engineer-merlin-labs-boston-p4xv2x08kvd3) — Boston, MA
- [Staff Engineer, Avionics Integration](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-engineer-avionics-integration-merlin-labs-boston-2mbt1cv8aqm3) — Boston, MA
- [Electrical Engineering Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/electrical-engineering-lead-merlin-labs-boston-0kh9rcqt8xb0) — Boston, MA
- [Process Engineer, Configuration Management](https://feeny.ai/job/process-engineer-configuration-management-merlin-labs-boston-h9gbm8nyr0yg) — Boston, MA
- [Senior System Engineer - Integration & Verification](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-system-engineer-integration-verification-merlin-labs-boston-vkajae8ktmhg) — Boston, MA
- [Staff Engineer, Core Flight Controls](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-engineer-core-flight-controls-merlin-labs-boston-a96x3cgbfc9m) — Boston, MA
- [Director, Assistant Controller](https://feeny.ai/job/director-assistant-controller-merlin-labs-boston-k8hkhxqe5hf4) — Boston, MA
- [Senior Manager, Strategic Finance](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manager-strategic-finance-merlin-labs-boston-h3a7dh6rnkqa) — Boston, MA