Drone Hardware Test Intern — Hands-on Automation

Zipline; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Zipline in South San Francisco (and Dallas) offers in-person, full-time internships within the Hardware Test Team. You will help ensure the performance, reliability, and safety of drone systems by building and validating test assets across avionics, power, and mechanical subsystems.

You will own your test asset end-to-end—from concept and data collection to analysis and engineering-driven recommendations. Hands-on problem solving and hardware interfacing are essential to success in this role.

Qualifications

• Able to interpret datasheets and write basic drivers for new components.
• Understanding of fundamental electrical and/or mechanical engineering principles.
• Experience with common electrical test equipment (multimeters, oscilloscopes, power supplies, etc.).
• Desirable: Python programming, embedded C, and hardware interfacing skills.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with cross‑functional engineering teams to define clear component and tester requirements
• Validate the design and assembly of components ranging from circuit boards to large mechanical or electromechanical assemblies
• Streamline testing, data collection, analysis, and reporting
• Gain deep expertise in the components or systems under test to understand their expected behavior under a variety of operating conditions
• Own a test asset through its entire lifecycle—from planning and implementation to system validation, troubleshooting, and analysis of results

Skills

Datasheet interpretation

Basic drivers development

Engineering fundamentals

Electrical test equipment experience

Python programming

Embedded C

Hardware interfacing

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Multimeters

Power supplies

Data acquisition

Job description

Zipline in South San Francisco (and Dallas) offers in-person, full-time internships within the Hardware Test Team. You will help ensure the performance, reliability, and safety of drone systems by building and validating test assets across avionics, power, and mechanical subsystems.

You will own your test asset end-to-end—from concept and data collection to analysis and engineering-driven recommendations. Hands-on problem solving and hardware interfacing are essential to success in this role.