Hardware Test Engineer, Droid - Ground Systems

About the role

Zipline is the world’s largest and most experienced drone delivery service. We design, build, and operate the world’s largest autonomous logistics system, delivering critical supplies quickly and reliably. We are on a mission to serve all humans equally by ensuring access to food, medicine, and essential goods anytime, anywhere.

Responsibilities

• Own the ground test strategy for the droid and its interaction with zipping point infrastructure - from pickup and drop-off mechanics, to tether engagement, to environmental exposure of the mated system.
• Design, build, and deploy custom mechanical test fixtures and life-test rigs, from concept through fabrication, bring-up, and long-duration operation.
• Develop the electrical and instrumentation side of these test systems. Load cells, thermocouples, encoders, current sensing, motor drivers, pneumatic actuators, DAQ, safety interlocks, etc.
• Write the automation software that runs them - Python scripting, data logging, live health monitoring, automated pass/fail evaluation, integration into our broader hardware test framework.
• Drive test campaigns from early prototype validation through qualification, life testing, and production end-of-line testing.
• Triage and root-cause failures across mechanical, electrical, and firmware domains, using data, test heritage, and one-off targeted campaigns.
• Partner directly with the mechanical, electrical, firmware, and manufacturing engineers designing EV3 - pushing back on requirements when the physics doesn't support them, and proposing changes when testing reveals opportunities to improve reliability.
• Travel occasionally to suppliers and manufacturing partners (China, Malaysia, Japan, Italy, Germany, Vietnam) to deploy test equipment, qualify processes, and support production ramps.

Requirements

• BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, or a related field, with 3+ years of hands-on experience delivering electromechanical hardware or test software.
• Demonstrated ability to design mechanical hardware in a CAD environment (we use Siemens NX).
• Comfort with the electrical side of test equipment - reading schematics, wiring up a fixture, debugging with a scope, selecting the right sensor for the job.
• Real Python experience. You've written test automation, data processing scripts, or bench-top control software that other people relied on.
• A systems approach to problem solving: a knack for identifying whether a failure lives in mechanics, electronics, firmware, or their interaction, and diving deep into whichever domain the problem lives in.
• Strong fabrication and prototyping instincts - you're comfortable in a machine shop, with hand tools, and at a soldering station.
• The judgment to know when a test is telling you something real vs. when the fixture itself is the problem.

Qualifications

• Experience with high-cycle mechanical life testing, environmental chambers, or accelerated life test design.
• Firmware experience (C, C++, Rust) on microcontrollers driving test equipment.
• PCB design experience for custom fixtures or breakout boards (Altium, KiCad).
• Prior work in drone, robotics, automotive, medical device, or consumer electronics NPI.

Skills

• Python scripting
• Data logging
• Live health monitoring
• Automated pass/fail evaluation
• Integration into hardware test framework
• High-cycle mechanical life testing
• Environmental chambers
• Accelerated life test design
• Firmware development on microcontrollers
• PCB design

Benefits

We offer a competitive compensation package, including a comprehensive benefits program that includes medical, dental, vision, retirement savings plan, and paid time off.

Pay

Competitive salary based on experience and qualifications.

Schedule

Full-time position with flexible working hours to accommodate the needs of the role and the team.

Company Culture

Zipline is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, or other characteristics protected by state, federal, or local laws or our own sensibilities. We value diversity at Zipline and welcome applications from those who are traditionally underrepresented in tech.