Engineering Validation & Reliability Technician – Ground Systems

Socket.dev; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 62,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Zipline, based in South San Francisco, is seeking an Engineering Validation & Reliability Technician to investigate field-return hardware, work with Field Service Engineers, and improve product reliability. You will perform structured root cause analysis, execute validation testing, document results, and help drive improvements across designs and documentation.

The role emphasizes hands-on electrical/electromechanical work and rapid problem solving.

Qualifications

• Electrical troubleshooting and structured root cause analysis skills.
• Ability to read electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and mechanical drawings.
• Hands-on experience with test equipment and lab procedures.
• Strong documentation and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Investigate returned hardware using structured electrical and system-level troubleshooting techniques.
• Characterize failures, isolate root causes, and document technical evidence including logs, measurements, and observations.
• Escalate complex issues with clear engineering findings and recommendations.
• Partner with Field Service Engineers to resolve escalated technical issues.
• Validate corrective actions and provide engineering feedback to improve future designs and supportability.
• Execute engineering validation plans, fixture bring-up, prototype verification, and regression testing.
• Collaborate with Ground Systems Test Engineers to verify design changes and reproduce field issues.
• Document investigations, test results, and corrective actions.
• Identify recurring failure trends and recommend improvements to products, processes, and documentation.

Job description

About Zipline

Zipline is the world’s largest and most experienced drone delivery service. We are on a mission to serve all humans equally by ensuring access to food, medicine and essential goods anytime, anywhere. We design, build, and operate the world’s largest autonomous logistics system, delivering critical supplies quickly and reliably. Today, Zipline operates on four continents, makes a delivery somewhere in the world every 30 seconds, and has completed millions of deliveries to date, including blood, vaccines, medical supplies, food, and retail products.

Our customers include the world’s largest and most prominent healthcare systems, governments, retailers, restaurants and global businesses who rely on us to save lives, reduce emissions, increase economic opportunity, and provide delivery from point A to point B as fast as possible. The drone is only 15% of what we’ve built to enable seamless, reliable, global operations.

Our system strengthens supply chains, reduces congestion, and gives people time back. With more than 140 million commercial autonomous miles safely flown, Zipline is redefining access to healthcare, consumer products, and food across the globe.

We operate at a global scale and are looking for practical problem solvers who thrive on real-world challenges and rapid growth. Our team is motivated by building systems that have a direct, meaningful impact on people’s lives and by scaling the future of logistics. We are seeking people who sculpt from first principles, enjoy facing adversity, and can do the impossible at record breaking speeds.

About You and The Role

The Ground Systems team designs, builds, validates, and continuously improves the infrastructure that enables Zipline's autonomous delivery systems. As a Engineering Validation & Reliability Technician, you will investigate field-return hardware, partner with Field Service Engineers to resolve complex technical issues, perform structured root cause analysis, execute engineering validation testing, and work closely with Ground Systems Test Engineers to improve product reliability. You enjoy diagnosing electrical and electromechanical failures, collecting technical evidence,

What You'll Do

Field Return Investigation & Issue Triage

• Investigate returned hardware using structured electrical and system-level troubleshooting techniques.
• Characterize failures, isolate root causes, and document technical evidence including logs, measurements, and observations.
• Escalate complex issues with clear engineering findings and recommendations.

Support Field Service Engineering

• Partner with Field Service Engineers to resolve escalated technical issues.
• Validate corrective actions and provide engineering feedback to improve future designs and supportability.

Engineering Test Support

• Execute engineering validation plans, fixture bring-up, prototype verification, and regression testing.
• Collaborate with Ground Systems Test Engineers to verify design changes and reproduce field issues.

Documentation & Continuous Improvement

• Document investigations, test results, and corrective actions.
• Identify recurring failure trends and recommend improvements to products, processes, and documentation.

What You'll Bring

Minimum qualifications

• 2–5+ years supporting electrical or electromechanical hardware in engineering, manufacturing, or test environments.
• Strong electrical troubleshooting and structured root cause analysis skills.
• Experience executing engineering validation or manufacturing test procedures.
• Ability to read electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and mechanical drawings.
• Hands-on experience with multimeters, oscilloscopes, power supplies, and common laboratory equipment.
• Strong documentation, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Nice to have

• Experience with automated test equipment, robotics, embedded systems, or aerospace hardware.
• Experience with reliability engineering, failure analysis, CAD, or data analysis tools.
• Experience supporting prototype development or engineering investigations.

Success in this role means delivering high-quality engineering investigations, identifying root causes, executing reliable validation testing, and providing actionable technical feedback that improves product reliability, engineering decision making, and future product designs.

What Else You Need To Know

The starting hourly rate for this role is $45-$58. Zipline is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws or our own sensibilities.

Zipline is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws or our own sensibilities.

We value diversity at Zipline and welcome applications from those who are traditionally underrepresented in tech.

Zipline is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws or our own sensibilities.

We value diversity at Zipline and welcome applications from those who are traditionally underrepresented in tech.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Zipline ’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.