Avionics Integration Engineer

About the role

Merlin Labs seeks an Avionics Integration Engineer to join its mission to deliver full-stack autonomy for aircraft. This role is central to building the non-human pilot that guides any plane from takeoff to touchdown. The position involves designing and verifying the critical interfaces that allow aircraft sensors to communicate with the autonomy stack. Success in this role requires a focus on reliable data flow and robust system behavior in diverse flight conditions.

Your daily work will involve translating high-level autonomy requirements into physical electrical systems. You will be responsible for creating wiring harness layouts and defining connector strategies that align with strict aircraft electrical architecture rules. Signal validation will be a core duty, ensuring avionics interfaces meet demanding safety and timing standards. You will own the architecture of how sensor data is received, processed, and passed to the central stack. This includes orchestrating complex data pipelines that unify inputs from multiple sensors into a coherent stream.

The role demands close coordination with certification teams to ensure integration practices satisfy airworthiness criteria. You will trace requirements across software and hardware modules to verify that real-world flight tests match the intended specifications. Integration test campaigns for takeoff, cruise, and landing phases will rely on your ability to monitor and support system behavior. Documentation will be a key output, as you update interface records to reflect actual wiring, communication protocols, and any anomalies observed. You will hold the authority to sign off on build and verification steps before new configurations progress toward production.

This position is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and operates on a full-time schedule. The compensation for this role is a base salary of 170,000 USD. Merlin Labs offers a collaborative environment where you can exercise ownership over major technical choices. If you are passionate about shaping the hardware backbone of autonomous flight, this role provides a direct path to impact.

To qualify, you must bring 3 to 5 years of experience in avionics or a related hardware integration field. A strong foundation in ARINC buses, serial protocols, and data acquisition methods is essential. You should be fluent in wiring standards, connector types, and the principles of signal integrity. Adherence to document control, configuration management, and traceability practices is a mandatory requirement. Your experience must demonstrate an ability to work within regulated environments where compliance is critical.

Candidates with additional expertise in related domains are encouraged to apply. There are no specific preferred skills outlined, but a broad understanding of avionics systems is highly valuable. Familiarity with common engineering tools used in integration and testing will support your effectiveness. A methodical approach to problem-solving will help you navigate complex interface challenges.

This role is part of a growing effort to solve aviation's most pressing challenges. By joining Merlin Labs, you will contribute to reducing pilot shortages and improving flight safety through autonomy. The company's background in hundreds of autonomous flight tests provides a strong foundation for your work. If you are an experienced electrical engineer seeking to build systems at the forefront of technology, this position represents a significant opportunity.

What you'll do

• Decompose high-level autonomy requirements into specific electrical and physical interface specifications.
• Architect the sensor wiring harness layouts and define connector strategies in alignment with aircraft electrical rules.
• Validate avionics signal behavior to confirm that data paths meet safety integrity and timing requirements.
• Own the design of data ingestion pipelines that aggregate inputs from diverse aircraft sensors into a unified stream.
• Coordinate closely with certification specialists to ensure all integration activities comply with airworthiness standards.
• Trace requirements across hardware and software modules to verify that flight test results match intended specifications.
• Monitor and support system behavior during integration test campaigns that cover takeoff, cruise, and landing scenarios.
• Update interface documentation to reflect actual wiring implementations, communication protocols, and observed anomalies.
• Sign off on build and verification steps to authorize progression of configurations toward production stages.
• Leverage analytical methods to diagnose interface issues and sustain reliable data flow across the autonomy stack.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to resolve complex integration challenges and align on system-level goals.
• Apply strict configuration management and traceability practices to maintain compliance and audit readiness.
• Utilize measurement tools and test procedures to verify that physical signals adhere to performance criteria.
• Document findings and decisions to create a clear record of integration activities for current and future work.
• Support the execution of test campaigns that validate autonomy functionality in realistic flight conditions.

Requirements

• Must hold a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related technical field.
• Must possess 3 to 5 years of professional experience in avionics integration or hardware development roles.
• Must demonstrate a strong understanding of ARINC buses, serial communication protocols, and data acquisition techniques.
• Must be fluent in wiring standards, connector types, and the fundamentals of signal integrity.
• Must have experience working within regulated environments where compliance and traceability are mandatory.
• Must adhere to strict document control and configuration management practices on all projects.
• Must be capable of defining interface specifications that align with aircraft electrical architecture constraints.
• Must show an ability to troubleshoot complex data flow issues between sensors and processing systems.

Nice to have

There are no specific preferred skills outlined, but a broad understanding of avionics systems is highly valuable. Familiarity with common engineering tools used in integration and testing will support your effectiveness. A methodical approach to problem-solving will help you navigate complex interface challenges.

Practical notes

This role operates on a full-time schedule from a Boston, Massachusetts location. The compensation for this role is a base salary of 170,000 USD.