# John O'Connell > Software Engineer @ Merlin Location: Boston, Massachusetts, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/johnoconnell Software Engineer at Merlin Labs working on building the world’s most capable pilot to deliver on the promise of autonomous flight. Previously a Mechanical Engineer with extensive experience in product design and development, manufacturing, and quality assurance. Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with cross-functional teams to test and develop innovative products. https://github.com/John-OConnell ## Work Experience ### Software Engineer II @ Merlin Jan 2026 – Present | Boston, MA ### Software Engineer @ Merlin Jan 2025 – Jan 2026 | Boston, MA ### Associate Software Engineer @ Merlin Jan 2024 – Jan 2025 | Boston, MA ### Graduate Teaching Assistant @ Khoury College of Computer Sciences Jan 2023 – Jan 2023 | Boston, MA • Conducted engaging and informative lab sessions, clarifying complex concepts and facilitating a hands-on learning experience for a group of 100+ students • Provided expertise in the C programming language, assisting students with coding assignments, debugging, and problem-solving • Demonstrated strong communication skills in helping students grasp complex data structures and algorithms • Assisted in the evaluation and grading of student coursework, offering constructive feedback and suggestions for improvement ### Software Engineer Intern @ AeroVironment Jan 2023 – Jan 2023 | Wilmington, MA • Showcased substantial cost reduction in an aerial robotics product by demonstrating ability to transition to COTS hardware • Enhanced computer vision capabilities on new hardware by implementing a state-of-the-art tracking algorithm • Refactored network communication protocol, improving architectural design and allowing for porting of multiple large C++ applications to new distributed hardware environment • Acquired experience in CI/CD, optimizing code integration, automated testing, and deployment pipelines for efficient, reliable software delivery in a Linux environment ### Design and Manufacturing Engineer @ InstantEye(R) Robotics Jan 2019 – Jan 2022 | Andover, MA • Led the quality assurance process to identify and prevent component failures before they reached the customer • Created and maintained detailed assembly documents used by technicians during the manufacturing process • Troubleshot problems as they arose on the floor, including failed PCBs, non-functional assemblies, and issues with testing and calibration fixtures • Designed various parts and test fixtures to solve and prevent issues found both on the manufacturing floor and the aircraft ### Mechanical Engineer @ Prodrive Technologies Jan 2018 – Jan 2018 | Eindhoven Area, Netherlands • Designed modular conveyor platform to be used in robotic assembly lines and machining processes. New design saved approximately €1,000 per conveyor and used half as many machined parts. • Developed an automotive test setup that replicated the force of a vehicle driving over a test specimen • Gained experience with design for manufacturing of CNC machined parts as well as sheet metal parts ### Mechanical Engineer Co-op @ NextDroid Jan 2017 – Jan 2017 | Greater Boston Area • Designed new battery pack for next generation autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to meet size, weight, cost, and energy density requirements. Created all associated parts and assemblies using SolidWorks. • Drafted drawings used throughout the development process to the ASME Y14.5-2009 GD&T Standard, from prototyping through final production. Assisted in creation of drawing package for new vehicle. • Created testing process to evaluate corrosion on steering pump motors. Designed and executed a molding process to prevent the observed corrosion. • Supported a team of Mechanical and Electrical Engineers in integrating various subsystem designs into a full vehicle design • Coordinated with suppliers and manufacturers, gained experience with design for 3D printing and CNC Machining ### Propulsion Engineer Co-op @ Sikorsky, A Lockheed Martin Company Jan 2016 – Jan 2017 | Stratford, Connecticut • Designed propulsion related systems using CATIA including engines, HVAC and fire detection • Evaluated Manufacturing Engineer Requests to diagnose potential problems and collaborated with other engineers to generate design solutions • Created Advance Change Notices and Engineering Changes (ECs) to implement design changes on the aircraft • Wrote engineering instructions and engineering orders for testing purposes • Used CATIA to create assemblies from existing designs and new models to be used for kinematic analysis, stack ups and space determination • Created and modified engineering drawings using CATIA, CADRA, and Mylar’s for implementation on aircraft • Wrote engine training material to be used for the Turkish Helicopter Program • Ran a weekly EC release metric to track reasons for delays and encourage colleagues to work to ACE standards ### Research and Development Engineer Co-op @ Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. Jan 2015 – Jan 2016 | Burlington, MA • Personally redefined settings for dispense tester, changed all accompanying SOP’s and test specifications • Developed a new design for the syrup cup that led to better Overall Equipment Efficiency, set specification limits for the new cup • Studied performance of valve lid weld and snap feature strength between syrup cup injection molding machines • Completed a study of the polypropylene syrup cup peelable weld flatness and parallelism • Ran several quality insurance and specification determination tests using different testing equipment such as the MOCON Lipkke burst tester, dispense tester, Instron tensile tester etc. and wrote associated reports • Firsthand experience in Design of Experiments, quality control and the six sigma process • Acquired an understanding of and implemented the product development and commercialization process ### Conservation Crew Member @ Town of Fairfield Conservation Department Jan 2014 – Jan 2014 | Fairfield, CT ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/johnpatrickoconnell --- Source: https://flows.cv/johnoconnell JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/johnoconnell/resume.json Last updated: 2026-03-31