About Zipline

Zipline's mission is to provide every human on Earth with instant access to vital medical supplies. We believe that where you live should never dictate whether you live. We are at the forefront of a logistics revolution, using autonomous aircraft to deliver just-in-time, life-saving medical supplies at national scale in several countries, and expanding around the world. Are you interested in building a system that 500 million people will depend on with their lives?

About You and the Role

Does quickly developing multiple iterations of test systems ranging from manual low volume all the way through fully automated high volume testing sound like the way you want to spend your time? Have you tackled system-level durability, reliability, and function testing in over-constrained environments with tight timelines? Do you love designing tests for cross-functional interfaces with little information, full ownership, and the responsibility to make it happen? At Zipline our work is intended for the field. Patients are counting on it today--there is no time for aiming low or coming up short. If leveraging your talent to drive full vehicle test systems to fruition with a small but dedicated team at your side sounds like your cup of tea, please read on. 

Zipline is at the forefront of a logistics revolution: We design, manufacture, and operate our own fleet of autonomous drones to make deliveries of vital medical supplies to people in need within minutes, 7 days a week. Today, we fly the equivalent of ten times around the equator every week. In a few months, we'll be doing that once a day, and by the end of 2021, once every hour. 

What You'll Do 

As a member of the Mechanical  Test Team you will be responsible for cradle-to-grave design and implementation of systems used to develop and prove market fit and key reliability metrics on the next generation Zipline system. You will be directly responsible for creation of several major test systems, some of which are well defined, and others which will require you to do critical analysis of what our customers want and what it will take to WOW them before embarking upon the design process.  To accomplish this you will need to do the following:

• Work with the product design and reliability teams to generate requirements for tests systems that accurately capture the intended function of the vehicle while leaving the door open for future automation and high volume capacity.
• Design, build and maintain critical test systems. 
• Manage test systems for early stage design. This will include ruthlessly prioritizing where our efforts must be spent to get the most out of every precious day. 
• Be a source of technical guidance to enable a small team of junior engineers and technicians make decisions and stay un-blocked as you work together on a shared mission.
• Pivot often as we navigate uncertain regulatory space and learn more about what it will take to really wow our customers.

What You'll Bring 

• 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 on 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. 
• Understanding 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 authorized to work in the US. 

What Else You Need To Know

Zipline is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws or our own sensibilities.

We value diversity at Zipline and welcome applications from those who are traditionally underrepresented in tech. If you like the sound of this position but are not sure if you are the perfect fit, please apply!