Mechanical Design Intern: Prototyping, Testing & CAD

Zipline; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 25,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

In‑person internship at SF/Dallas

Job summary

Zipline is seeking a Mechanical Engineering intern to contribute to hands-on, field‑oriented projects at our South San Francisco or Dallas offices. You will design, prototype, test, and iterate mechanical systems that support autonomous drone logistics, with an emphasis on reliability and practical problem solving.

Ideal candidates have strong CAD skills, hands‑on build experience, and a drive to ship real solutions.

Qualifications

• Must be a minimum 2nd year undergraduate student; Masters/PhD eligible.
• Strong fundamentals in mechanical engineering, sizing parts, and integration.
• Experience building mechanical systems outside of coursework; prototyping encouraged.

Responsibilities

• Develop concepts from requirements and evaluate tradeoffs.
• Design parts and assemblies with CAD tools.
• Build and test prototypes to gather quick learnings.
• Collaborate with Zipline teams and suppliers on designs.
• Design, build, and run electro-mechanical testers to prove reliability.
• Document decisions and learnings for team sharing.

Skills

Mechanical engineering fundamentals

CAD design

Prototyping

Electro-mechanical integration

Test and validation

Ability to work cross-functionally

Education

Undergraduate student (2nd year or higher)

Pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering or related

Tools

2D CAD tools

3D CAD tools

Raspberry Pi

Test equipment

Job description

Zipline is seeking a Mechanical Engineering intern to contribute to hands-on, field‑oriented projects at our South San Francisco or Dallas offices. You will design, prototype, test, and iterate mechanical systems that support autonomous drone logistics, with an emphasis on reliability and practical problem solving.

Ideal candidates have strong CAD skills, hands‑on build experience, and a drive to ship real solutions.