NPI Hardware Team Lead — Build & Troubleshooting

Zipline; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Zipline, the world’s leading drone delivery company in California, seeks a Manufacturing Build Lead to own daily prototype builds and ensure safe, reliable hardware production. You will guide technicians, manage priorities, and collaborate with engineers to scale up processes.

Join a fast-growing team focused on innovation, quality, and continuous improvement, delivering critical hardware and improving production performance.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in manufacturing, production, NPI, or prototype builds.
• 2+ years leading or supervising technical personnel.
• Experience managing low‑volume, high‑variability builds with competing priorities and changing requirements.
• Strong hardware assembly, troubleshooting, and repair skills; able to use hand tools, assembly tooling, and manufacturing equipment.
• Ability to interpret mechanical drawings, electrical schematics, BOMs, work instructions, build plans, and equipment specifications.
• Experience developing processes, bringing up equipment, hiring and developing talent, and supporting products from NPI through scaled production, including engineering changes.
• Experience with production transfers, scale‑up, or reducing manufacturing costs and cycle times.
• Familiarity with ERP, MES, or PLM systems and continuous improvement methods such as 5S, Lean, or Six Sigma.
• Ability to define performance metrics and use them to improve team execution and capacity planning.
• Strong organization, reliability, attention to detail, and independent judgment, with clear communication under schedule pressure.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily prototype and NPI builds, set priorities, coordinate technician capacity, equipment, materials, tooling, and workstations, and communicate progress, risks, and resource constraints.
• Maintain build readiness, configuration control, and traceability across parts, BOMs, drawings, work instructions, revisions, quantities, and production issues.
• Provide hands‑on leadership in assembly, troubleshooting, rework, and repair.Coach technicians on safety, workmanship, and documentation, and use sound judgment to resolve workflow and resource challenges.
• Develop work instructions and standard workflows; support equipment bring‑up and validate equipment and process readiness.
• Partner with Engineering on design‑for‑assembly feedback and engineering changes.
• Improve manufacturing quality, reliability, efficiency, cost, and cycle time. Support production transfers and scale‑up, including training production teams.
• Hire, onboard, and develop technicians through coaching, cross‑training, and career planning. Track performance, quality, and adherence to standard work; set KPIs and forecast staffing needs.
• Keep safety training current, document EHS incidents, address hazards, and support team‑led safety improvements.
• Build a collaborative, accountable team focused on innovation and continuous improvement.

Skills

Manufacturing leadership

NPI builds

Technical supervision

Hardware troubleshooting

Mechanical drawings interpretation

Process development

Production transfers

Lean/Six Sigma

Performance metrics

Organization & communication

Job description

Zipline, the world’s leading drone delivery company in California, seeks a Manufacturing Build Lead to own daily prototype builds and ensure safe, reliable hardware production. You will guide technicians, manage priorities, and collaborate with engineers to scale up processes.

Join a fast-growing team focused on innovation, quality, and continuous improvement, delivering critical hardware and improving production performance.