Staff Systems Engineer, Integration

About the role

You will own the end-to-end integration strategy for Merlin's autonomy stack, translating high-level system architectures into executable integration roadmaps that connect sensors, compute, and flight-critical software. You will lead the design of integration testbeds and regression suites that validate the Merlin Pilot system against rigorous safety and performance targets across diverse aircraft platforms. You will coordinate cross-functional alignment between hardware, software, and test teams to ensure interfaces are defined, documented, and adhered to throughout the product lifecycle. You will establish traceable verification flows that link requirements, models, code, and flight test results to de-risk integration milestones and accelerate delivery. You will serve as the primary systems integrator for flight test campaigns, resolving emergent interface issues and ensuring that each test iteration builds on the last with measurable progress. You will implement and evolve integration best practices, standards, and tooling that scale from laboratory prototypes to field-deployed autonomous operations. You will act as a bridge between customers, suppliers, and internal engineering groups to negotiate interface changes and maintain alignment on system behavior. You will mentor junior engineers on integration methodologies, fostering a culture where safety, repeatability, and rapid iteration coexist.

Key facts

What you'll do

Define and evolve the integration architecture for the Merlin Pilot autonomy system, specifying data flows, timing models, and communication protocols across avionics, payloads, and ground segments.

Build and maintain integration testbeds that exercise hardware-in-the-loop, software-in-the-loop, and flight test scenarios, ensuring test coverage maps directly to system requirements.

Develop regression test suites and automated validation pipelines that detect interface regressions early and provide rapid feedback to development teams.

Partner with requirements engineers to validate that system and software requirements are testable, verifiable, and aligned with customer and certification expectations.

Lead the design of fault-injection campaigns and failure-mode exercises to confirm that integration points handle degraded and off-nominal conditions safely.

Coordinate flight test campaigns, translating mission objectives into integrated flight profiles, test matrices, and data-recording strategies that capture the right telemetry at the right fidelity.

Collaborate with suppliers to define interface control documents, validate third-party components, and resolve interoperability issues before they affect critical test milestones.

Analyze integration data to identify trends, correlate failures across domains, and drive corrective actions that improve system robustness and performance.

Establish configuration and change management practices for integration artifacts, ensuring baselines are reproducible and traceable across test and flight programs.

Champion continuous improvement by refining integration checklists, procedures, and dashboards based on lessons learned from test and field operations.

Support the development of digital thread capabilities that connect design models, simulation results, and flight data into a coherent lineage for audits and reviews.

Act as the integration subject-matter expert during customer engagements, demonstrating system capabilities, explaining trade-offs, and capturing feedback for backlog refinement.

Drive the adoption of safety standards and best practices relevant to civil-certified and defense mission systems throughout the integration workflow.

Work closely with certification authorities to provide evidence that integration activities comply with applicable requirements and risk assessments.

Requirements

You hold a Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a related technical field, and your experience demonstrates application of those fundamentals to complex system integration.

You bring 8+ years of experience in systems engineering, integration, or test leadership on safety-critical programs, with a portfolio that spans requirements management, system design, and verification.

You have direct experience in civil-certified or military avionics environments, where DO-254, DO-178C, or equivalent safety standards guided your verification approach.

You've worked in experimental R&D flight test or operational test and evaluation settings, managing the integration of sensors, compute platforms, and data systems onto aircraft.

You are fluent in requirements-based testing, verification traceability, and the use of tools that support safety cases and compliance evidence.

You have interfaced with a wide array of engineering domains, including but not limited to flight controls, navigation, communications, payloads, and data links.

You have collaborated with customers and suppliers to negotiate interfaces, resolve technical disagreements, and document mutually accepted solutions.

You are comfortable operating in fast-paced development environments while maintaining rigorous safety and documentation discipline.

Nice to have

Experience with autonomy stacks for aerial platforms, including perception, planning, and control integration challenges.

Familiarity with simulation tools and hardware-in-the-loop testbeds for avionics and autonomous systems.

Knowledge of data link protocols, sensor suites, and payload integration for airborne platforms.

Experience supporting programs that require U.S. government or international defense export compliance.

Practical notes

This is a full-time role based in Boston, Massachusetts, or remote.

Travel may be required to support flight test campaigns, customer engagements, or supplier meetings.

Candidates must be eligible to obtain the necessary security clearances or export control credentials if required for specific programs.

Employment terms are contingent on background checks and role-specific qualifications as defined by Merlin personnel policies.