Mechanical Engineer Intern — Field-Ready Prototyping

Zipline; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 30,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

In‑person internship

Job summary

Zipline, a leader in autonomous logistics, offers full‑time mechanical engineering internships at our South San Francisco or Dallas offices for Summer 2027. You will work on cross‑disciplinary projects from concept to field deployment, building prototypes and validating designs in real‑world conditions.

Interns collaborate with multiple Zipline teams, tackle hands‑on problems, and contribute to reliable, scalable systems used in drone delivery networks.

Qualifications

• The candidate must have completed at least the second year of undergraduate studies; Masters and PhD students are also eligible.
• Solid mechanical engineering fundamentals for structural analysis, sizing parts, and integrating components into a design.
• Automation experience with actuators and Raspberry Pi (or similar).
• Strong CAD skills with experience designing multiple projects.
• Experience on projects requiring mechanical, electrical, and software design.
• Ability to adapt quickly and communicate effectively with the team.
• Willingness to plan and schedule own work with a can‑do attitude.

Responsibilities

• Take product and engineering requirements to develop concepts and evaluate tradeoffs.
• Use 2D and 3D CAD tools to design parts and assemblies based on sound engineering principles.
• Build and test prototypes to gather quick learnings.
• Review designs cross‑functionally with Zipline teams and suppliers.
• Design, build, and run electro‑mechanical testers to prove reliability.
• Document key decisions for others to understand.
• Contribute to validation strategies and root‑cause issues.

Job description

Zipline, a leader in autonomous logistics, offers full‑time mechanical engineering internships at our South San Francisco or Dallas offices for Summer 2027. You will work on cross‑disciplinary projects from concept to field deployment, building prototypes and validating designs in real‑world conditions.

Interns collaborate with multiple Zipline teams, tackle hands‑on problems, and contribute to reliable, scalable systems used in drone delivery networks.