Senior Mechanical Test Engineer, SMI

As a Senior Mechanical Test Engineer at Zipline, you will design, build, and maintain test systems for autonomous drone hardware, working across teams like Ground Systems, Structures & Mechanisms, and Powertrain & Battery. You'll generate test requirements, explore edge cases, and manage test systems for early-stage designs, providing technical guidance to junior engineers. The role is hands-on and requires balancing cross-functional needs to ensure reliable test systems that support Zipline's mission of rapid, autonomous delivery.

Responsibilities

• Work with the product design and reliability teams to generate requirements for test systems that accurately capture the intended function of the vehicle while leaving the door open for future automation and high volume capacity.
• Explore and define product edge cases based on data you collect from the field, existing logs, and in anticipation of future use cases and environments.
• Design, build, and maintain critical test systems
• Manage test systems for early stage designs. This will include ruthlessly prioritizing where our efforts must be spent to get the most out of every precious day.
• Provide technical guidance to junior engineers and technicians.Pivot often as we navigate uncertain regulatory space and learn more about what it will take to really wow our customers.

Requirements

• Design for user experience of mechanical test systems. You can develop a machine that accomplishes complex interactions reliably and can be used by anyone with minimal training.
• Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals. You understand the theory behind good design decisions and have a proven track record of executing these designs to make a test system that is more reliable than the product it is testing.
• Cross functional team management experience such that you can balance the needs of structures, aero, embedded, and software engineering teams to create one product that works for all.
• Understand when we can get away with a quick and dirty or scrappy solution and when it is worth our time and money to make investments in the future.
• Must be eligible to work in the US
• Must be able to work in person at Zipline’s South San Francisco headquarters

Benefits

• The starting cash range for this role is $130,000 - $180,000. Please note that this is a target, starting cash range for a candidate who meets the minimum qualifications for this role. The final cash pay for this role will depend on a variety of factors, including a specific candidate's experience, qualifications, skills, working location, and projected impact. The total compensation package for this role may also include: equity compensation; discretionary annual or performance bonuses; sales incentives; benefits such as medical, dental and vision insurance; paid time off; and more.