Lead UAV Hardware Technician

Namely; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Zipline in South San Francisco, CA, seeks an experienced leader to guide electromechanical hardware builds for UAV projects. You will own build readiness, drive daily priorities, and ensure high-quality hardware on the floor.

You will manage Engineering Technicians, coordinate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Validation, Production, Supply Chain, and Field Operations to remove blockers and improve tooling, documentation, and processes. A hands-on leadership style is essential.

Qualifications

• 6+ years building complex electromechanical hardware.
• Experience leading technicians or managing technical teams.
• Strong hands-on troubleshooting across mechanical, electrical, test, and integrated hardware systems.
• Experience building and integrating complex assemblies using wiring, soldering, composites, machining, fixtures, test equipment, and validation tools.
• Ability to interpret mechanical drawings, electrical schematics, BOMs, work instructions, and technical documentation.

Responsibilities

• Lead hands-on electromechanical builds, integration, validation, troubleshooting, rework, and recovery of aircraft and supporting hardware.
• Directly manage, hire, onboard, schedule, coach, review, and develop a team of Engineering Technicians.
• Set daily priorities and allocate technician capacity across prototype, NPI, validation, production support, remanufacturing, and field-operations work.
• Resolve competing execution needs by coordinating cross-functional tradeoffs and escalating decisions when needed.
• Confirm build readiness by ensuring required hardware, tooling, documentation, materials, and configurations are available before work begins.
• Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Validation, Production, Supply Chain, and Field Operations to remove technical and execution blockers.
• Maintain safety, craftsmanship, quality, documentation, traceability, and configuration-control standards; use build-floor feedback to improve tooling, methods, work instructions, manufacturability, and recovery processes.

Skills

Team leadership

Troubleshooting

Prioritization

Documentation

Tools

Wiring

Soldering

Machining

Fixtures

Test equipment

Job description

Zipline in South San Francisco, CA, seeks an experienced leader to guide electromechanical hardware builds for UAV projects. You will own build readiness, drive daily priorities, and ensure high-quality hardware on the floor.

You will manage Engineering Technicians, coordinate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Validation, Production, Supply Chain, and Field Operations to remove blockers and improve tooling, documentation, and processes. A hands-on leadership style is essential.