Production Test Mechanical Engineer: High-Throughput Fixtures

Candidate; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

Zipline seeks a Mechanical Engineer, Production Test, to own fixtures and test interfaces for repeatable production testing of aircraft, docks, pods, and subassemblies. You will design locating, loading, and connection systems, integrating sensors and safety interfaces with electrical/software partners.

Role emphasizes reliability, high throughput, and on-site collaboration with Manufacturing Engineering and Quality teams, with a strong focus on safety and traceability across production lines.

Qualifications

• 2+ years building production test systems or end‑of‑line testers for electro‑mechanical products.
• BS in Electrical, Mechatronics, Mechanical, or Computer Engineering.
• Hands‑on experience with instrumentation, sensors, actuators, harnessing, and PCBA debugging.

Responsibilities

• Design production test fixture mechanics for repeatable product locating, loading, handling, and connection, with focus on safety and maintainability.
• Integrate instrumentation, sensors, actuators, harnessing, and safety interlocks into fixtures with electrical and software partners; validate fixture correlation and repeatability.
• Own mechanical design, delivery, and sustainment for production testers and calibration stations from requirements through build, installation, validation, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate on tester acceptance criteria and validate fixture contributions to test coverage, pass/fail limits, golden-unit strategy, GR&R, and production release criteria.
• Partner with electrical/software teams to integrate testers and fixtures to meet cycle-time and throughput targets.
• Drive measurable outcomes: increase first-pass yield, reduce false-fail rate, improve tester uptime/utilization, and shorten per‑unit cycle time.

Skills

Python

LabVIEW

TestStand

Embedded interfaces (CAN, UART, Ether,

Production testing

Manufacturing floor experience

Safety & traceability

Education

BS in Electrical, Mechatronics, Mechanical or Computer Engineering

Tools

DAQ systems

Electrical harnessing

Calibration equipment

Job description

Zipline seeks a Mechanical Engineer, Production Test, to own fixtures and test interfaces for repeatable production testing of aircraft, docks, pods, and subassemblies. You will design locating, loading, and connection systems, integrating sensors and safety interfaces with electrical/software partners.

Role emphasizes reliability, high throughput, and on-site collaboration with Manufacturing Engineering and Quality teams, with a strong focus on safety and traceability across production lines.