Mechanical Engineer - Merlin Labs

You are a hands-on mechanical engineer who thrives in fast-paced, highly collaborative startup environments and is excited by the challenge of building next-generation autonomous aerospace systems. You bring experience designing, developing, and testing complex mechanical hardware for aerospace, robotics, or other highly regulated high-performance industries.

You are comfortable owning projects from concept through production and enjoy working closely with cross-functional teams including avionics, flight controls, systems engineering, and flight test. You are detail-oriented, technically curious, and motivated by solving difficult engineering problems under aggressive timelines. You balance analytical rigor with practical execution and are energized by working on products that push the boundaries of autonomous flight.

Design, develop, and release mechanical components and assemblies for autonomous aircraft systems including structures, enclosures, mounts, actuation systems, and integration hardware

Support the full product development lifecycle from concept generation, CAD modeling, prototyping, testing, design iteration, and production release

Perform mechanical analysis (structural, thermal, vibration, tolerance, etc.) to validate designs and ensure system reliability

Collaborate closely with electrical, avionics, software, systems, manufacturing, and flight test teams to integrate hardware into aircraft platforms

Develop engineering documentation including drawings, BOMs, test plans, validation reports, and manufacturing instructions

Support prototype builds, integration activities, ground testing, and flight test operations

Drive root cause investigations and implement corrective actions for mechanical failures and design issues

Work with suppliers and manufacturing partners to support fabrication, qualification, and production readiness

Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives focused on performance, manufacturability, weight reduction, reliability, and cost optimization

Operate effectively in a rapid development environment with evolving priorities and tight execution timelines

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related engineering discipline

3–5 years of professional mechanical engineering experience in aerospace, autonomous systems, robotics, automotive, defense, or other high-performance hardware industries

Strong proficiency with CAD software such as Siemens NX, CATIA, SolidWorks, or similar 3D modeling tools

Experience designing mechanical systems for dynamic or mission-critical environments

Knowledge of mechanical analysis methods including stress, thermal, vibration, and tolerance analysis

Experience supporting prototype development, integration, and hardware testing activities

Familiarity with aerospace materials, manufacturing processes, and design for manufacturability principles

Strong understanding of engineering documentation and configuration control processes

Ability to troubleshoot complex mechanical issues and drive solutions in a collaborative environment

Excellent communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally across engineering and operations teams

Experience in autonomous aircraft, UAVs, eVTOL, robotics, or flight hardware development is highly preferred

Hands-on mechatronics experience is a plus

Familiarity with FAA certification environments, aerospace standards, or regulated development processes is a plus