Head of Supply Chain

ZIPLINE; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 210,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading logistics company as the Head of Supply Chain, driving strategy and execution for a revolutionary delivery network. This high-impact role demands strong leadership, analytical skills, and a passion for building effective supply chain processes across complex environments. Collaborate with teams to ensure technology reaches those in need, promoting equity in global supply chains and transforming logistics at scale.

Benefits

Equity compensation

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Paid time off

Discretionary annual or performance bonuses

Qualifications

• Experience in high-growth, hardware-centric environments.
• Ability to build and inspire teams.
• Fluency in hardware development mechanics and sourcing.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute supply chain strategy aligned with company goals.
• Hire and grow a high-performing team.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams for supply chain readiness.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical thinking

Strategic planning

Problem solving

Team building

Education

10+ years of progressive supply chain leadership

Job description

Do you want to change the world? Zipline is on a mission to transform the way goods move. Our aim is to solve the world’s most urgent and complex access challenges by building, manufacturing and operating the first instant delivery and logistics system that serves all humans equally, wherever they are. From powering Rwanda’s national blood delivery network and Ghana’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution, to providing on-demand home delivery for Walmart, to enabling healthcare providers to bring care directly to U.S. homes, we are transforming the way things move for businesses, governments and consumers. The technology is complex but the idea is simple: a teleportation service that delivers what you need, when you need it. Through our technology that includes robotics and autonomy, we are decarbonizing delivery, decreasing road congestion, and reducing fossil fuel consumption and air pollution, while providing equitable access to billions of people and building a more resilient global supply chain.

Join Zipline and help us to make good on our promise to build an equitable and more resilient global supply chain for billions of people.

About This Role

As Head of Supply Chain at Zipline, you’ll lead the global strategy and execution behind the sourcing, logistics, and planning systems that power the world’s largest autonomous delivery network. You’ll work cross-functionally with engineering, manufacturing, and operations to build a supply chain that is scalable, cost-effective, and resilient—ensuring our life-saving technology reaches the people who need it most. This is a high-impact leadership role for someone who thrives in complexity, builds strong teams, and drives results through collaboration, innovation, and inclusion.

What You’ll Do

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute a world-class supply chain strategy aligned with Zipline’s ambitious growth and product evolution goals—Platform 2 and beyond. Optimize for agility, speed, and quality while managing cost and risk.
• Team Building & Growth: Hire, structure, and scale a high-performing, high-energy team driven by curiosity, first-principles thinking, and a challenge-based culture. Grow not just the team - but its leaders, too.
• Supplier Strategy & Evaluation: Build and refine a resilient global supplier and partner ecosystem tailored to Zipline’s unique product trajectory and challenges. Apply deep insight into supplier strengths and weaknesses to secure the right partners for where we are—and where we're headed. You understand what motivates our potential partners and suppliers and you ensure those align with Zipline’s strengths and goals.
• Hands-On Technical Leadership: Engage deeply in the technical details. Guide hardware sourcing with a hands-on approach, particularly in your area of commodity expertise.
• Platform Product Enablement: Support fast-paced product development cycles with a supply chain strategy that enables unit economics to scale—think 10K/year pricing on Day 1. Design supplier ramps that evolve with product reliability and performance improvements.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Collaborate tightly with engineering, manufacturing, and operations to ensure strong execution and supply chain readiness at every stage of the product lifecycle across complex technical challenges to achieve company goals.
• Global Risk & Compliance: Own risk mitigation across tariffs, global sourcing challenges, and geopolitical constraints—including tariff strategies and China sanctions risk.
• Process & System Optimization: Implement lightweight and efficient processes and digital systems to drive visibility, efficiency, and scalability across procurement, logistics, planning, and inventory.

What We’re Looking For

• Experience: 10+ years of progressive supply chain leadership, with a proven record of scaling operations in high-growth, hardware-centric environments. Deep expertise in at least one hardware commodity.
• Leadership DNA: A builder of teams and culture. You inspire through mentorship, vision, and an ability to lead from both the balcony and the trenches.
• First-Principles Thinker: You don't just follow best practices—you question them. You’re energized by complex, unsolved problems and can architect systems from the ground up.
• Technical Acumen: Fluent in the mechanics of hardware development and sourcing. You thrive in the details and can engage and constructively challenge engineering and manufacturing peers.
• Analytical & Strategic: Data is your compass. You bring a sharp analytical mindset to decision-making and are comfortable balancing trade-offs across cost, time, and quality.
• Operational Agility: Comfortable with ambiguity and obsessed with execution. You know when to move fast, when to double down, and how to manage change without losing the thread.

What Else You Need to Know

This role is based out of our South San Francisco HQ with minimum of 4 days per week in office. Must be eligible to work in the US and travel globally as needed.

The starting cash range for this role is $210,000 - $250,000. Please note that this is a target, starting cash range for a candidate who meets the minimum qualifications for this role. The final cash pay for this role will depend on a variety of factors, including a specific candidate's experience, qualifications, skills, working location, and projected impact. The total compensation package for this role may also include: equity compensation; overtime pay; discretionary annual or performance bonuses; sales incentives; benefits such as medical, dental and vision insurance; paid time off; and more.

Zipline is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, or other characteristics protected by state, federal or local law or our other policies.

We value diversity at Zipline and welcome applications from those who are traditionally underrepresented in tech. If you like the sound of this position but are not sure if you are the perfect fit, please apply!

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