Motor Control Firmware Intern (Summer 2026)

Zipline is on a mission to transform the way goods move. Our aim is to solve the world’s most urgent and complex access challenges by building the first instant logistics system that serves all humans equally. Leveraging expertise in robotics and autonomy, Zipline designs, builds, and operates a fleet of cutting edge, autonomous delivery drones. We serve tens of millions of people around the world.

Joining Zipline’s Emerging Talent program as an intern is an opportunity to contribute to our promise of building a system that provides equitable access to critical healthcare supplies for millions of people. We believe that internships are more than just opportunities to learn by watching or doing low level tasks. We expect our interns to take on meaningful work that actively contributes to moving Zipline’s mission forward, while learning real-world skills that will serve them in their careers for the long term. 

Join us, and build the future of logistics with the best humans around!

Our team writes the high performance firmware that runs on our motors, all of which are developed in-house. This includes our propulsion motors, our winch, and our servos. Our work focuses on the design, analysis, and testing of algorithms for estimation, control, diagnostics, and operation of the motor controllers. We work closely with the electrical and mechanical engineers that own the PCBAs and motor assemblies as well as the controls engineers in charge of vehicle dynamics. Projects we have worked on include: 

• Emitting a siren sound from the hover motors in case of paraland.
• Designing a sensor-less estimator capable of maintaining motor state during 0 speed crossings.
• Implementing a max torque per amp control policy to minimize heat dissipation.
• Implementing propeller imbalance checks during preflight.

As an intern on the motor control team, you will write firmware that directly improves the delivery experience. The work will consist of both rapid changes in collaboration with cross-functional partners, as well as a long-running intern capstone project that will introduce a new capability to our motor systems. You will work side-by-side with the firmware and controls engineers on the team to unlock additional hardware capability, improve vehicle efficiency, expand system health observability, and improve the performance of our actuators and propulsion control systems. 

What You'll Do

Growth Opportunities and New Skills:

• Bare metal firmware programming.
• Fleet-wide hardware performance analysis.
• Driver development for hard real time systems.
• Firmware performance profiling and optimization.

Typical intern projects include:

• Propeller break detection.
• Slew rate limiting around 0 torque crossings in order to extend hardware lifetimes.
• Latching critical alarms in non-volatile memory to improve traceability of transient failures.
• Thermal behavior to return the aircraft to dock immediately.
• Firmware features that enforce vehicle configuration prior to takeoff.
• Orienting hover propellers to their safest possible orientation during a paraland.

You will see your solutions all the way through design, simulation, bench testing, flight testing, and fleet level analysis. Rigorous work is expected but the team will guide you through this process.

Although we will not expect you to own deep controls or estimation outcomes, there will be ample opportunity to learn all about our control stack, the differential equations that guide our motors’ operation, and other topics in motor physics.

You are a person who:

• Is passionate about learning about motor firmware, Zipline’s aircraft and systems, and our mission.
• Has prior internship or design team experience.
• Has experience with writing C or C++.
• Has excellent grades in mechanics and electromagnetics classes.

It is expected that you will be onsite in South San Francisco 5 days / week for this internship. Rising seniors are preferred.

Our internships are full-time positions, in-person at our South San Francisco or Dallas office. We will host our Summer 2026 interns from May or June to August. 

Candidates are limited to three (3) applications within a 30-day period.

The starting cash range for this internship is $38 - 42/ hour. 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, and working location. The total compensation package for each role may also include: a housing stipend; overtime pay; relocation support; paid sick time; and more. 

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!

Zipline is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your point of contact at Zipline know if you require any accommodations throughout your interview process.