Senior Applied Aerodynamics Engineer - High-Impact

Zipline; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 255,000; Full time

Job summary

Zipline in South San Francisco is seeking an experienced aero/engineering professional to help design, analyze, and optimize autonomous aircraft hardware and software. You will own design work from concept through detailed geometry, build high fidelity CAD surfaces, run CFD validations, and contribute to laser-focused test plans.

This is a hands-on role emphasizing rapid iteration and real-world impact. Minimum 4+ years shipping quality aerospace products is required; deep fundamentals in

Qualifications

• Requires 4+ years of industry experience shipping high quality aerospace products.
• Strong fundamentals in aerodynamics, aeroacoustics, and aircraft design.
• Experience with CFD tools and wind tunnel testing for validation.

Responsibilities

• Conceptual design for new vehicles and hardware revisions.
• Build high-quality aerodynamics plant models validated by ground- and flight testing.
• Design propellers to balance low noise with high aerodynamic efficiency.
• Deliver CAD surfaces for mechanical designers to use for parts fabrication.
• Design and maintain test hardware, wind tunnels, and aero measurement tools.

Skills

Aero fundamentals

CFD analysis

Generative design

Wind tunnel testing

CAD surfaces

OpenFOAM

CATIA

NX

Tools

CATIA

NX

Star-CCM+

OpenFOAM

Fluent

XFOIL

OpenVSP

Job description

Zipline in South San Francisco is seeking an experienced aero/engineering professional to help design, analyze, and optimize autonomous aircraft hardware and software. You will own design work from concept through detailed geometry, build high fidelity CAD surfaces, run CFD validations, and contribute to laser-focused test plans.

This is a hands-on role emphasizing rapid iteration and real-world impact. Minimum 4+ years shipping quality aerospace products is required; deep fundamentals in