Mechanical Engineer Intern (Summer 2027)

Zipline; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 30,307,000 - 41,328,000; Full time

Job summary

Zipline is seeking practical, hands-on Mechanical Interns for our South San Francisco or Dallas offices. You will design, build, and test mechanical systems, gaining real-world experience beyond the classroom.

Interns will develop prototypes, review designs cross-functionally, and support field deployment readiness. Applicants should be at least in the second year of undergrad; Masters and PhD students are welcome. Summer 2027 internships run May/June to August/September.

Qualifications

• Must have completed at least the second year of undergraduate studies; Masters and PhD students are also eligible.
• Experience designing and building multiple mechanical systems outside of the classroom.
• Proficient in CAD and able to design and iterate on parts and assemblies.
• Ability to work cross-functionally and communicate clearly in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, test, and iterate mechanical systems and components.
• Develop prototypes and run experiments to gather quick learnings.
• Collaborate with other Zipline teams and suppliers on designs.
• Document decisions and results for knowledge transfer.

Skills

CAD proficiency

Mechanical design

Prototyping

Team collaboration

Testing and validation

Education

Undergraduate year 2+ completed

Tools

Raspberry Pi

CAD software

Electrical testing equipment

Job description

• Does aggressively tackling cross disciplinary projects from early conceptual stages through to full field deployment sound like the way you want to spend your time? Do you eliminate circular discussions by running a test or use your hands-on skills to build a prototype instead of scheduling another meeting?
• At Zipline, your work is intended for the field, where customers are counting on it every day, so there is no time for ambiguous communication or unrealistic expectations
• We need dedicated engineers to burn down risk and improve reliability in our system like their life depends on it- because others’ lives do. If you thrive working with a fast-paced and driven team that focuses on only the most important goals, eliminates blockers, and executes with extreme practicality, keep reading!
• Mechanical Engineers at Zipline go deep in their area of ownership, become experts in the problem domain, define requirements for their systems, rapidly develop creative and simple solutions, and prove with testing that their system meets the rigors and edge-cases of real-world deployment
• We are composed of teams that are responsible for everything from the earliest designs of a new system, to creating test and validation strategies, root-causing issues with existing systems, and much more
• Mechanical interns can own a variety of big problems integral to our system! You can expect to:
• Take product and engineering requirements to develop concepts and evaluate tradeoffs for each
• Use 2D and 3D CAD tools to design parts and assemblies based on sound engineering principles
• Use resources creatively to design, build, and test prototypes to gather quick learnings
• Work cross-functionally with other Zipline teams and suppliers to review designs
• Design, build, and run electro-mechanical testers that you develop to prove reliability of critical components
• Evaluate designs and components on a material, element, and fully integrated product level
• Root cause failures and develop a test to replicate the failure mode
• Document your work so that others can easily understand key decisions made
• Examples of previous intern projects include designing, building, testing, and running:
• Flexible blind-mate ducting connection between an aircraft and a ground-based cooling station, allowing for aircraft battery temperature regulation during charging and pre-flight preparation
• A service strategy for removing a docked aircraft from a ground station using a custom designed hand cart, complete with an ergonomic study for a range of technician heights and strengths
• A communications tower with integrated antennas and lightning protection meant to relay vital telemetry information from the drone to the operators during flight
• Characterization of proposed and delivered materials, and properties (static strength, durability, and dynamic response) of configured structures
• A wing cycle tester to identify and eliminate risk for each wing iteration and prove reliability with cycles
• Our internships are full-time positions, in-person at our South San Francisco or Dallas office. We will host our Summer 2027 interns from May/June to August/September
• The most critical skill we’ve seen in prior entry-level candidates is robust experience designing and actually building multiple mechanical systems outside of the classroomThis is the component of your application we’re most excited about, so please ensure that you’ve included this work in your application. Examples of things previous interns have built include submarines, solar cars in the Australian outback, electric boats and airplanes, rockets, etcYou can anticipate, plan and schedule your own workYou’re quick to change direction when you realize you’ve made a mistake OR could achieve the same goal in a simpler wayYou bring a can do attitude, because we have a lot of vital work to get done and only work with people who are invested in solving critical problemsYou’re excited to build on your design skills with brainstorms, design reviews, and failure mode analysisYou’ve worked on complex projects that require mechanical, electrical, and software designYou’ll bring automation experience from working with actuators and Raspberry Pi’s (or similar)You bias to action and communicate consistently with your team to ensure everyone is focused on meeting the project goals on timeYou’ll bring solid mechanical engineering fundamentals for structural analysis, sizing parts, and integrating components into a design with minimal helpYou must have completed at least the second year of your Undergraduate studies. Masters and PhD students are also eligibleYou’re well versed in CAD, and have designed multiple projects with it