Maintenance Lead, Austin

Zipline; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Zipline is seeking an UAS Maintenance Lead for its US Operations in Austin. You will own daily maintenance execution, lead technicians, and make airworthiness decisions within approved procedures. You’ll collaborate with engineering and compliance to resolve issues and ensure reliable fleet availability.

You will set schedules, manage backlogs, and drive KPI-based improvements while staying hands-on in the maintenance environment and ensuring safety and compliance at all times.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on maintenance or technical leadership in regulated environments.
• Experience leading daily maintenance execution and safe airworthiness decisions.
• Ability to manage inspections, repairs, and return-to-service workflows.
• Must earn and maintain Zipline Repairman certification.
• Proven judgment applying procedures and escalating engineering questions.
• Track record of improving system availability and efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily maintenance execution and airworthiness determinations for the local aircraft fleet.
• Own the workflow from receiving to conformity checks, through inspection, repair, documentation, and return-to-service.
• Set maintenance schedules, shift coverage, backlog priorities, and WIP to meet readiness goals.
• Plan maintenance to support airworthiness and fleet health programs.
• Coach technicians and shift leads with clear expectations and feedback.
• Improve aircraft downtime, uptime, turnaround, and productivity.

Skills

Maintenance leadership

Fleet operations

Safety compliance

Airworthiness determinations

Root cause analysis

Onsite Austin flexibility

Education

Zipline Repairman certification

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

Zipline’s US Operations depend on aircraft that are safe, compliant, and ready to fly for customer deliveries. As UAS Maintenance Lead, you will own daily maintenance execution for a local fleet, turning inspections, repairs, and aircraft intake into reliable operational availability.

You will lead technicians and Shift Leads while staying hands‑on in the maintenance environment. You will make airworthiness decisions within approved maintenance procedures, elevate engineering or compliance questions through the appropriate channels, and build the shop‑floor discipline that supports dependable growth.

What You’ll Do

• Lead daily maintenance execution and approved airworthiness determinations for local aircraft fleet assets.
• Own workflow from aircraft receiving and conformity checks through inspection, repair, documentation, and return‑to‑service coordination.
• Set maintenance schedules, shift coverage, backlog priorities, and work‑in‑progress to meet operational readiness goals.
• Conduct maintenance planning to support continued airworthiness and fleet health programs.
• Coach Maintenance Technicians and Shift Leads through training, clear expectations, direct feedback, and performance accountability.
• Track and improve aircraft downtime, uptime, turnaround, first‑time‑fix quality, backlog closure, and technician productivity.
• Enforce maintenance SOPs, safety protocols, qualification practices, and audit‑ready records.
• Partner with engineering and compliance to root‑cause recurring issues, resolve escalations, and improve maintenance processes.
• Monitor performance KPIs and ensure the safe and efficient execution of maintenance operations.

What You’ll Bring

• 5+ years of hands‑on maintenance, fleet, service‑operations, or technical leadership experience in automotive, autonomy, aviation, or a related field.
• Experience leading daily execution in a safety‑sensitive or regulated maintenance environment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage inspections, repairs, maintenance backlogs, and return‑to‑service workflows.
• Ability to earn and maintain Zipline Repairman certification for authorized safety‑sensitive maintenance functions.
• Sound judgment applying approved procedures, identifying nonconformances, and escalating engineering or compliance questions.
• A record of improving system availability, turnaround, quality, or technician productivity through disciplined operating practices.
• Ability to work onsite in Austin and flex with shift operations as site needs change.

What Else You Need To Know

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. If you like the sound of this position but are not sure if you are the perfect fit, please apply!