Director, Strategy

About Merlin: Merlin (NASDAQ: MRLN) is a publicly traded aerospace and defense company building a non-human pilot to deliver full-stack autonomy for any aircraft from takeoff to touchdown. The Merlin Pilot autonomy system powers a growing range of aircraft and mission profiles and has been proven through hundreds of autonomous flights from Merlin's global flight test facilities, including Kerikeri, New Zealand; Quonset Point, Rhode Island; and soon, Bedford, Massachusetts. Headquartered in Boston, Merlin is expanding its organization to accelerate the development and deployment of its autonomy platform, helping customers solve some of aviation's most pressing challenges, from pilot shortages to improving flight safety. Backed by some of the world's leading investors prior to its public listing, Merlin continues to advance the certification and commercialization of autonomous flight across commercial and defense aviation.

You are a strategic operator with a deep interest in aviation, autonomy, and complex, regulated environments. You are comfortable navigating ambiguity, connecting technical innovation to market opportunity, and driving initiatives from concept through execution. You bring a structured approach to problem solving, strong business judgment, and the ability to influence across engineering, program, and commercial teams. You are equally comfortable in executive-level discussions and rolling up your sleeves to move critical initiatives forward.

Partner with executive leadership to define and evolve Merlin’s business and corporate strategy

Translate long-term vision into clear strategic priorities, roadmaps, and execution plans

Identify and evaluate new markets, mission sets, and customer segments across commercial and government domains

Develop go-to-market and growth strategies in regulated and government-contracted environments

Lead high-priority, cross-functional strategic initiatives from concept through implementation

Collaborate with Engineering, Programs, and Business Development to ensure alignment between technical development and business objectives

Support strategy related to FAA certification pathways and defense procurement processes

Build data-driven analyses, business cases, and executive-level materials to support decision-making and Board discussions

Assess competitive landscape, partnerships, and ecosystem dynamics to inform strategic positioning

Act as a force multiplier for leadership by increasing decision velocity and organizational alignment

7-10+ years of experience in strategy, operations, or program leadership

Experience in aerospace, defense, autonomy, robotics, or other highly regulated industries

Proven ability to operate at both strategic and execution levels

Experience working with or alongside government customers or complex regulatory environments

Strong analytical and structured problem-solving skills

Demonstrated success leading cross-functional initiatives with measurable impact

Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence at both executive and technical levels

Experience in autonomous systems, aviation, or AI-driven platforms

Familiarity with FAA certification, DoD procurement, or mission-based program development

Background in management consulting, corporate strategy, or high-growth startups

Experience scaling strategy in a venture-backed or rapidly growing company

Ability to navigate ambiguity and build structure in evolving environments

Operator mindset with a track record of driving strategy through execution

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