Flight Test Operator - SkillBridge

Zipline is the world’s largest and most experienced drone delivery service, ensuring access to food, medicine, and essential goods anytime, anywhere. We design, build, and operate the world’s largest autonomous logistics system, delivering critical supplies quickly and reliably across four continents. Our system strengthens supply chains, reduces congestion, and gives people time back, with over 140 million commercial autonomous miles safely flown.

Note: This role is part of the Zipline SkillBridge program, offering transitioning U.S. military service members a 3-4 month internship with structured instruction and on-the-job training. Only active-duty U.S. military service members approved (or eligible for approval) for the DoD SkillBridge program may apply.

About the Role

You are a hands-on Flight Test Operator focused on bringing early-stage Zipline aircraft from prototype through production bring-up. You will execute, iterate, and sign off on flight operations that validate airworthiness, avionics/software integration, and field-deployable procedures to enable drone delivery at scale. This role involves close coordination with vehicle engineering, software, safety, manufacturing, and field operations to turn early-stage flight software into reliable, release-ready aircraft. Timely, rigorous flight validation reduces deployment risk, shortens product development cycles, and directly impacts delivery reliability for our customers.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end daily flight test campaign execution.
• Act as Remote Pilot in Command for Zipline’s Autonomous Aircraft—executing mission profiles, feature testing, and fault injection testing.
• Validate functionality through repeatable ground and flight test procedures.
• Troubleshoot and repair software and hardware issues on-site to return aircraft to flight.
• Summarize test results: provide qualitative and quantitative analysis of aircraft performance compared to expected outcomes provided by engineering.
• Escalate flight performance anomalies to engineering and safety, driving discussion toward resolution.
• Enforce and improve site safety: manage risks for prototype flights, run briefings and debriefs, and refine SOPs to reduce repeat failures.

Requirements

• FAA Part 107 certification (required at time of joining).
• Experience piloting drones or manned aircraft.
• Demonstrated aeronautical decision-making and accountability: experience owning go/no-go decisions, creating preflight checklists, and escalating safety incidents with clear documentation.
• Operational intensity and logistics: Comfortable working in failure-heavy, iterative field environments where rapid diagnostics and repairs under time pressure are routine; able to lift and move 50+ lb equipment and work outdoors for multi-hour test windows.
• Ownership and communication: Proven ability to own test campaigns end-to-end, make safety-forward go/no-go decisions, document results clearly, and coordinate across engineering, safety, and manufacturing to drive closure.

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Linux command-line comfort.
• Rapid-prototyping skills (3D printing, basic machining).
• Experience with automated flight systems.

Schedule

This role is onsite at a Zipline test site (outdoor/field conditions). Expect to work weekends and night shifts, with occasional regional travel between test sites when required.

SkillBridge start dates are flexible. Housing is not provided.