Engineering Technician (Powertrain)

Zipline; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Zipline is seeking an Engineering Technician to join the Battery & Power Electronics team. You will build, test, and refine hardware and test systems for battery and power electronics development, validation, and production.

You will assemble prototypes, fabricate fixtures, instrument laboratories, and assist with engineering validation activities while driving quality and speed improvements across programs.

Qualifications

• Experience assembling prototypes and test fixtures.
• Ability to read engineering drawings and schematics.
• Strong organization and safety mindset.
• Experience operating laboratory instrumentation and labs workflows.
• Experience supporting engineering validation and hardware bring-ups.

Responsibilities

• Assemble and maintain engineering prototypes, battery systems, and electromechanical hardware.
• Set up, operate, and maintain laboratory equipment and test fixtures.
• Troubleshoot prototype hardware and test systems with engineers to identify root causes.
• Collaborate with Mechanical, Electrical, Test, Manufacturing, and Reliability engineers to iterate hardware.
• Develop and improve lab workflows, documentation, and standard operating procedures.

Skills

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Lab safety

Troubleshooting

Communication skills

Mechanical aptitude

Fabrication

Hand tools

Electrical integration

Collaboration

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Multimeters

Power supplies

DAQ systems

Battery cyclers

Environmental chambers

Vibration equipment

Soldering

Crimping

Wiring

Job description

• Zipline builds autonomous delivery aircraft and ground systems that operate daily in varied field conditions. Reliable products depend on exceptional hands-on execution. As an Engineering Technician, you will partner closely with design and test engineers to build, operate, troubleshoot, and improve the hardware and test systems that enable the development, validation, and production of our battery and power electronics products
• The Battery & Power Electronics team is responsible for delivering power throughout the aircraft—including batteries, power distribution systems, busbars, and power connectors. You will support product development by assembling prototypes, fabricating test fixtures, operating laboratory equipment, executing engineering validation, and driving continuous improvements that increase engineering quality and development speed
• This role is open to technicians at all levels. Responsibilities, technical scope, and ownership grow with experience—from supporting prototype builds and laboratory operations to independently owning complex hardware builds, laboratory systems, validation activities, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Support engineering programs from prototype build → test setup → execution → troubleshooting → continuous improvement
• Build, assemble, modify, and maintain engineering prototypes, battery systems, power electronics assemblies, wiring harnesses, and electromechanical hardware
• Assemble and commission custom test equipment, fixtures, instrumentation, and laboratory infrastructure using engineering drawings, electrical schematics, and work instructions
• Perform wiring, soldering, crimping, cable fabrication, connector assembly, and mechanical assembly using high-quality engineering and manufacturing practices
• Fabricate and modify test fixtures, mechanical components, wiring harnesses, and laboratory tooling using standard shop equipment and rapid prototyping methods
• Support engineering changes, prototype iterations, and hardware bring-up throughout the product development lifecycle
• Set up, operate, and maintain laboratory equipment including power supplies, electronic loads, battery cyclers, oscilloscopes, DAQ systems, environmental chambers, vibration equipment, and thermal instrumentation
• Execute engineering validation activities including battery characterization, environmental, vibration, thermal, fatigue, abuse, electrical performance, and reliability testing
• Collect, document, and organize engineering data while ensuring repeatability, traceability, and measurement quality
• Maintain laboratory organization, calibration records, tooling, consumables, and equipment to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient engineering operations
• Support commissioning of new laboratory equipment and validation infrastructure
• Troubleshoot prototype hardware, laboratory equipment, and test systems, partnering with engineers to identify root causes and implement corrective actions
• Identify and implement improvements to laboratory workflows, assembly methods, fixture designs, tooling, and test efficiency
• Develop and improve work instructions, assembly documentation, laboratory procedures, and standard operating practices
• Partner closely with Mechanical, Electrical, Test, Manufacturing, Reliability, and Systems Engineers to rapidly iterate hardware and improve engineering execution
• As experience grows, independently own prototype builds, laboratory equipment, validation activities, and portions of engineering programs while mentoring teammates and driving improvements to laboratory capability and engineering processes

Experience with wiring harness fabrication, crimping, soldering, cable routing, connector assembly, and electrical integrationExcellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and commitment to safe laboratory practicesStrong troubleshooting skills with the ability to independently diagnose and resolve mechanical and electrical issuesFamiliarity with laboratory instrumentation including oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, DAQ systems, battery cyclers, environmental chambers, and vibration equipmentExperience supporting engineering validation, prototype development, manufacturing, or production testing is preferredStrong mechanical aptitude with experience using hand tools, precision measurement equipment, and fabrication equipmentStrong communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary engineering teamsExperience building, assembling, troubleshooting, or supporting electromechanical systems appropriate to your career levelExperience reading mechanical drawings, electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, assembly documentation, and engineering work instructions