Maintenance Tool Engineering Intern (Summer 2027)

About the Role

As Zipline continues to rapidly iterate our hardware, we need to design, validate, and field new tools to allow technicians to do their work safely and efficiently. You’ll work closely with maintenance to understand their needs and pain points, then partner with hardware and tooling engineers to create solutions.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with Hardware and Operations teams to understand pain points and process requirements.
• Design and prototype tools for drone and ground system maintenance.
• Use hand and machine tools to produce the first units.
• Gather operational feedback on your designs and iterate quickly.
• Partner with Operations leadership on trade studies to evaluate the optimal, fully-productionized forms of your design.
• Create usage documentation and lead training sessions as your designs roll out into operation.

Requirements

• Ability to work on-site at our test facility in Esparto, CA every day.

Qualifications

• A strong grasp of mechanical design fundamentals (statics, dynamics, material properties, fabrication processes, etc).
• Proficiency with CAD software like NX, Solidworks, Fusion, etc.
• Hands-on prototyping experience like 3D printing, fabrications, welding, soldering, or assembly.

Skills

• Strong communication skills and an ability to collaborate cross-functionally.
• Obsessive customer focus and a drive to understand how your designs work in the real world.

Pay

The hourly rate for this internship is $37 per hour. Additional benefits may include relocation support, a housing stipend, overtime pay, paid sick time, and other benefits, where applicable and subject to local requirements.

This internship is a full-time position, in-person at our Esparto, CA Office. We will host our Summer 2027 interns from this summer (May/June - August/September). Zipline is unable to sponsor work visas for applicants to this position.