Powertrain Engineering Technician — Hardware & Test

InfoStride; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Zipline is seeking an Engineering Technician on the Powertrain team to build, operate, and improve hardware and test systems that support our aircraft’s electrical power and propulsion systems.

You will work with battery cells and packs, power-distribution hardware, motor controllers, and integrated propulsion assemblies, partnering with design and test engineers to create fixtures and automated test setups for development and qualification.

Qualifications

• Experience building, operating, or troubleshooting test equipment, production equipment, prototypes, or lab infrastructure for complex electromechanical products.
• Hands-on experience with batteries, power electronics, electric motors, motor controllers, propellers, rotating machinery, or related aerospace/robotics hardware.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and the ability to build robust fixtures, wiring, instrumentation, and test setups.
• Familiarity with measurement systems, sensors, DAQ hardware, electrical power systems, and laboratory safety practices.
• Experience reading mechanical drawings, electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, assembly documentation, and engineering work instructions.
• Experience executing environmental, thermal, vibration, fatigue, durability, reliability, or safety testing.

Responsibilities

• Prototype Development: Build, assemble, modify, and maintain prototypes for batteries, power electronics, motors, motor controllers, propellers, and propulsion systems.
• Assemble and commission custom test equipment, fixtures, instrumentation, and lab infrastructure from drawings and schematics.
• Perform wiring, soldering, crimping, cable fabrication, and mechanical assembly using standard shop practices.
• Fabricate and modify fixtures, wiring harnesses, and lab tooling using rapid prototyping methods.
• Support engineering changes and hardware bring-up throughout the product lifecycle.
• Validation & Laboratory Operations: Set up and maintain lab equipment, perform validation activities, and ensure data quality and traceability.
• Troubleshoot prototype hardware and test systems, identifying root causes and implementing corrective actions.
• Develop and improve lab workflows, fixture designs, tooling, and test efficiency.
• Collaborate with Mechanical, Electrical, Test, Manufacturing, Reliability, and Systems Engineers to iterate hardware and improve execution.

Skills

Prototype development

Laboratory operations

Troubleshooting

Mechanical aptitude

Electrical systems

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Tools

Lab equipment

DAq systems

Python

LabVIEW

MATLAB

Job description

Zipline is seeking an Engineering Technician on the Powertrain team to build, operate, and improve hardware and test systems that support our aircraft’s electrical power and propulsion systems.

You will work with battery cells and packs, power-distribution hardware, motor controllers, and integrated propulsion assemblies, partnering with design and test engineers to create fixtures and automated test setups for development and qualification.