Mechanical Engineering Manager - Autonomous Drone Platform

Zipline; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 235,000; Full time

Job summary

Zipline in South San Francisco is seeking a Mechanical Engineering Manager to set mechanical engineering strategy for the Long Range Platform and lead the team responsible for mechanical design from architecture through production and field use. This leader will connect customer and operator needs with platform strategy, shaping aircraft and ground systems that enable reliable, scalable delivery.

This strategic player-coach role requires turning customer problems into clear priorities, reviewing

Qualifications

• Experience building and developing high-performing mechanical engineering teams.
• Strong mechanical engineering background with direct technical contributions to complex hardware.
• Track record translating customer needs into product requirements and roadmaps, carrying products from architecture to field deployment.
• Technical depth in mechanical systems including structures, actuators, motors, sensors, and electromechanical integration.
• Fundamentals in first-principles analysis, hand calculations, materials, GD&T, tolerance analysis, fatigue, and FEA.
• Experience with prototyping, test planning, validation, and using results to guide design decisions.
• Experience designing for manufacturing, assembly, inspection, reliability, and serviceability.
• Track record taking ownership across team boundaries and resolving tough problems.
• Clear written, verbal, and visual communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Build and develop an exceptional mechanical engineering team with clear ownership and growth paths.
• Own mechanical engineering outcomes across the Long Range Platform and set multi-generation roadmaps.
• Guide architecture and design for aircraft structures, mechanisms, powertrain, batteries, avionics packaging, and ground systems.
• Translate customer and operator needs into product requirements and validation plans.
• Drive systems engineering across mechanical and platform interfaces with safety and reliability analyses.
• Lead design reviews, analyses, prototyping, testing, and issue resolution.
• Lead tradeoffs across safety, weight, performance, manufacturability, cost, and schedule.

Skills

Team leadership

Mechanical engineering

Requirements translation

Prototyping

Design for manufacturability

System integration

First-principles analysis

Clear communication

Tools

Siemens NX

Job description

Zipline in South San Francisco is seeking a Mechanical Engineering Manager to set mechanical engineering strategy for the Long Range Platform and lead the team responsible for mechanical design from architecture through production and field use. This leader will connect customer and operator needs with platform strategy, shaping aircraft and ground systems that enable reliable, scalable delivery.

This strategic player-coach role requires turning customer problems into clear priorities, reviewing