Direct Hire

Test Data Engineer

Merlin Labs · Boston

Metro: Boston, MA
Craft: eVTOL
Job Type: Software & Autonomy

About the role

About Merlin:

Merlin is a venture backed aerospace startup building a non-human pilot to enable both reduced crew and uncrewed flight. Backed by some of the world’s leading investors, Merlin is scaling alongside our customers to begin leveraging autonomy today to solve some of aviation’s biggest challenges.

About you:

You will be the primary interface between our internal data customers and various vendors (e.g., Marpin Labs, Epsilon3), ensuring the external products can be used by Merlin engineers by any combination of training Merlin employees or helping to develop external services to suit company needs. This mission-critical role combines engineering process leadership, systems-engineering, technical domain experience, understanding test data workflows, and configuration control and change management.

Responsibilities:

Own Merlin's Test Data Platform Strategy

Own the strategy, roadmap, and lifecycle for Merlin's engineering test data platforms.
Drive adoption of scalable data platforms supporting laboratory, simulation, ground test, and flight test activities.
Establish platform standards, governance, and best practices across Engineering.
Manage strategic vendor relationships, roadmap alignment, and platform performance.
Evaluate emerging technologies and lead continuous platform improvement and deployment.
Ensure vendor solutions meet Merlin's technical, operational, and long-term business requirements.

Drive Engineering Data Strategy

Define the long-term vision for engineering test data management across Merlin.
Standardize data workflows, governance, and engineering processes across programs.
Lead the transition from legacy workflows to modern digital engineering platforms.
Advise executive leadership on investments, capabilities, and future data strategy.
Identify opportunities to improve engineering efficiency through automation and data-driven decision making.

Partner Across Engineering

Serve as the primary partner to Systems Engineering, Flight Test, Instrumentation, Software, and Program Management teams.
Gather and prioritize platform requirements while balancing competing stakeholder needs.
Drive integration between engineering platforms and enterprise systems.
Ensure platform security, availability, access controls, and operational excellence.

Establish Enterprise Data Standards

Define enterprise standards for telemetry, instrumentation, metadata, data quality, retention, permissions, and knowledge management.
Ensure traceability, consistency, and data integrity across all engineering and test programs.
Enable cross-program data reuse and scalable collaboration.

Advance Analytics & Digital Engineering

Champion analytics, reporting, AI/ML, and digital engineering capabilities across the organization.
Develop common metrics, dashboards, and automated data processing pipelines.
Enable reusable analysis workflows that accelerate engineering insight and decision making.

Qualifications:

Bachelor degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, or related technical discipline. Advanced degree preferred.

5+ years of experience in aerospace, aviation, defense, transportation, or other complex engineering environments.

Experience with engineering systems, test operations, telemetry systems, data platforms, or digital engineering initiatives.

Experience with FTI management, telemetry systems, aero integration and test operations.

Experience managing enterprise software implementations and deployments.

Experience working across multiple technical disciplines and organizational levels.

Technical Knowledge

Data acquisition systems typical of aircraft

Telemetry systems

Instrumentation systems

Engineering data management

Systems engineering

Configuration management

Data analytics platforms

Cloud-based engineering systems

Digital engineering frameworks

Nice to Haves:

Authoritative voice on test engineering information systems and data management.
Understand both the technical details of test operations and information systems, as well as the organizational challenges of enterprise transformation.
Can discuss avionics and telemetry architecture with engineers, data platform strategy with executives, and operational / security details with IT administrators.
Vision to establish (CloudTS and Epsilon3.io) test data platforms as strategic enterprise capability rather than a low-priority software application maintenance side-project.

This position is based on-site at Merlin HQ in Boston, MA.

Once you’re here, you’ll enjoy a variety of on-site perks designed to make your workday enjoyable and convenient. These include catered lunches featuring a rotating menu of delicious options, an assortment of snacks to keep you fueled throughout the day, and a selection of beverages, including coffee, tea, and other drinks, to keep you refreshed.

Our goal is to create an environment where you can thrive both professionally and personally

Merlin Labs offers an innovative, entrepreneurial, and team-focused startup environment. We also offer a top-notch benefits package (health, dental, life, unlimited vacation, and 401k with match) and work/life integration. Being part of the Merlin team allows you to become part of a small team that supports professional development while working together to achieve our mission.