Senior Aviation Cyber Certification Engineer

Merlin Labs, Inc.; United States; Remote; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, life insurance

401k with match

Flexible paid time off

Job summary

Merlin Labs is building autonomous aviation systems and is expanding its civil aviation cyber certification capability. This foundational role will define processes, artifacts, and documentation to support airworthiness security certification as civil programs come online.

You will work with IS Security and cross‑functional teams to integrate security requirements early in design, serving as the Merlin expert for aviation cybersecurity across programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 6-9 years of cybersecurity or systems security engineering experience on civil aviation programs.
• Direct experience applying DO-326A/ED-202A, ARP4754B, and DO-356A/ED-203A on aircraft certification.
• Experience interfacing with FAA/EASA or DER/ODA UM on type certification programs.
• Demonstrated ability to build certification processes, procedures, and documentation from the ground up.
• Proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision while coordinating across teams.

Responsibilities

• Establish civil aviation cyber certification discipline: define processes, templates, and artifact structure.
• Lead airworthiness security activities aligned to DO-326A/ED-202A and ARP4754B, including threat/risk identification.
• Perform aircraft/system/item-level security risk assessments and develop certification evidence.
• Serve as technical point of contact with FAA and other certification authorities for cybersecurity deliverables.
• Embed airworthiness security requirements into design and coordinate with broader certification schedule.
• Own the security certification documentation set and maintain configuration control.
• Validate and build on existing aviation cybersecurity work and serve as Merlin's SME across programs.

Skills

Cybersecurity experience

Systems security engineering

Airworthiness security

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

About You:
You have hands-on experience navigating airworthiness security certification on a civil aviation program. You understand how DO-326A/ED-202A, ARP4754B, and DO-356A/ED-203A apply to certification programs, and you've built or contributed to a Plan for Security Aspects of Certification (PSecAC) or equivalent artifact where no process existed before. You know how to show compliance to applicable requirements for FAA/EASA or a Designated Engineering Representative (DER) approval.

Merlin Labs builds autonomous aviation systems for demanding defense customers, and we are establishing the civil side of our aviation cyber certification capability as our program portfolio grows. This is a foundational role: you will build the processes, procedures, and documentation that carry Merlin's civil aviation cyber certification work, working with minimal supervision and closely with our Information Systems Security team on the military airworthiness side. If you have a builder's, 0-to-1 mentality and want to own how Merlin approaches aviation cybersecurity certification, this is the role.

Responsibilities:

• - Establish civil aviation cyber certification discipline: define the processes, procedures, templates, and artifact structure needed to support airworthiness security certification as civil aviation programs come online.
• - Lead airworthiness security activities aligned to DO-326A/ED-202A and ARP4754B, including threat and security risk identification, and develop the Plan for Security Aspects of Certification (PSecAC), supporting Security Development Plan, and PSecAC Summary.
• - Perform aircraft, system, and item-level security risk assessments per DO-356A/ED-203A, and develop the certification evidence — security risk assessments, verification results, and compliance data — required to support the security aspects of certification.
• - Serve as technical point of contact with the FAA (and other applicable certification authorities or their designated representatives) on cybersecurity certification deliverables and activities for civil aviation programs.
• - Partners with systems, software, and safety engineering teams to embed airworthiness security requirements into design and development early, and coordinate security certification activities with the broader certification schedule.
• - Own the security certification documentation set — security plans, risk assessments, compliance matrices, and means-of-compliance packages — and maintain configuration control as programs move through certification milestones.
• - Validate and build on the aviation cyber certification-related work already performed by the Lead Engineer, Information Systems Security — including authorization artifacts such as test reports supporting military airworthiness efforts — and serve as Merlin's dedicated subject-matter expert for aviation cyber certification across both military and civil programs.

Qualifications:

• - Bachelor's degree with 6-9 years of cybersecurity or systems security engineering experience, including direct experience on civil aviation airworthiness security or certification programs.
• - Direct experience applying DO-326A/ED-202A, ARP4754B, and DO-356A/ED-203A on an aircraft or system certification program.
• - Experience interfacing with the FAA, EASA, or other certification authorities (directly or through a DER/ODA Unit Member (UM)) on the security aspects of a type certification or supplemental type certification (STC) program.
• - Demonstrated ability to build certification processes, procedures, and documentation from the ground up in the absence of existing infrastructure.
• - Proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision while coordinating across systems, software, safety, and program management teams.

Nice to Haves:

• - Working knowledge of systems security engineering practices (e.g., RMF, vulnerability assessment, DISA STIGs), given crossover with Merlin's defense-side security engineering work.
• - Background in aerospace, avionics, autonomous systems, or another safety-critical engineering domain where security requirements intersect with airworthiness and safety certification (e.g., familiarity with ARP4761 safety assessment processes).
• - U.S. citizenship and eligibility to obtain a security clearance, given crossover with Merlin's defense programs.
• - Experience mentoring engineers on security requirements or building out a security engineering function/team as a program or company scales.
• - Familiarity with DoD cyber authorization efforts, including Interim Authorization to Test (IATT) and Authorization to Operate (ATO) processes.

Merlin Labs offers an innovative, entrepreneurial, and team-focused startup environment. We also offer a top-notch benefits package (health, dental, life, flexible paid time off, and 401k with match) and work/life integration.
Merlin Labs is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, military service or obligation or disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. All job offers are contingent upon the candidate passing background and reference checks.
At this time, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship or consider candidates who require visa transfers. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship now or in the future.
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.
If you require reasonable accommodation in completing an application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to: [e-mail]
Merlin Labs does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from candidates.

The compensation range provided is reflective of base salary only, and is a good-faith estimate based on a wide range of factors. The actual offer will be determined by a variety of factors including the candidate's qualifications, skills, experience, education, and training. Highly competitive equity grants are considered part of Merlin's total compensation package. Additionally, Merlin offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees.