Computational Physics Intern (Summer 2027)

Zipline is seeking an engineering intern to join the Systems Modeling Team, where you will develop computational tools and physics-based models to support aircraft and fleet-level design decisions. You will work on automating design trades, optimizations, and sensitivity studies, improving simulation frameworks, and analyzing test data to validate component models. This role is central to shaping Zipline's drone delivery products and requires a strong grasp of fundamental physics and numerical methods.

Responsibilities

• Develop computational tools to automate high-level design trades, optimizations, and sensitivity studies
• Improve the performance and flexibility of simulation frameworks
• Build physics-based models that underlie aircraft performance simulations
• Analyze test data to validate vehicle component models

Requirements

• A drive to help people and make the world a better place
• A basic understanding of fundamental physics:
• Energy and power
• Heat transfer
• Electrical circuits
• Dynamics (kinematics, forces, moments, acceleration/rotation)
• Fluids and aerodynamics
• Passion for tackling challenging multidisciplinary problems
• The ability to recognize tradeoffs in the design of complex computational analysis frameworks
• Expertise in Matlab, Python, Julia, Rust, or similar; for modeling, simulation, optimization, and/or data analysis
• Proficiency in numerical methods

Nice to have

• Basic understanding of batteries, electric motors, and/or aircraft dynamics; and typical approaches to modeling them
• Experience interpreting experimental data
• Experience with model-based systems design, ideally in an extracurricular setting