Aerospace New-Products Mechanical Design Engineer

Namely; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Zipline is hiring an experienced mechanical designer in California to develop lightweight structures and precision mechanisms for new aircraft capabilities. You will move hardware from concept to production, balancing weight, reliability, manufacturability, cost and schedule.

You will prototype, test, and iterate with a hands‑on approach, collaborating with aerodynamics, structures, controls/autonomy, and manufacturing teams to deliver robust, producible designs for field deployment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years designing mechanical systems for aerospace, robotics, automotive, or similarly demanding hardware programs.
• Hands‑on experience with composite or metallic structural design and/or precision mechanisms.
• Proficiency in CAD (NX, SolidWorks, or equivalent), GD&T, FEA workflow for structural substantiation.
• Experience producing production drawings, BOMs, supplier specs, and supplier qualification processes.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end mechanical subsystem delivery from concept to production release.
• Translate requirements into designs, CAD, tolerance stacks, and verification plans.
• Produce drawings, GD&T, BOMs, and manage supplier handoffs to manufacturing partners.
• Drive test campaigns: design fixtures, lead lab/flight-test instrumentation, validate, and close failures.
• Use first-principles analysis and FEA to set margins and predict loads/life.
• Prototype and iterate in-shop; turn validated prototypes into producible designs.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and lead design reviews as mechanical authority.
• Deliver measurable outcomes: reduce mass, meet MTBF targets, and sign off on drawings.

Skills

Finite element analysis

First‑principles problem solving

Experience with composite or metallic構

CAD design

GD&T

FEA workflow for structural substanti

Tools

NX

SolidWorks

Job description

Zipline is hiring an experienced mechanical designer in California to develop lightweight structures and precision mechanisms for new aircraft capabilities. You will move hardware from concept to production, balancing weight, reliability, manufacturability, cost and schedule.

You will prototype, test, and iterate with a hands‑on approach, collaborating with aerodynamics, structures, controls/autonomy, and manufacturing teams to deliver robust, producible designs for field deployment.