System Validation Intern — Automation & HIL Testing

Zipline; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 28,000 - 41,000; Full time

Job summary

Zipline seeks a System Validation Intern to contribute to testing Zipline’s complete system of systems—Zip, Droid, and Dock. You’ll help build automated testing pipelines and ensure software meets strict quality standards before flight tests.

You will work closely with a supportive team, gaining hands-on experience with cutting-edge tools and technologies while solving meaningful challenges in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

Qualifications

• You must be a second-year undergraduate student (Master's and PhD students are also eligible).
• Strong understanding of engineering design fundamentals and the ability to triage and identify root causes of technical issues.
• Experience writing Rust or Python scripts to automate tasks or tests, either through coursework or personal projects.
• Hands‑on experience writing Python tests using Pytest or Unittest.
• Familiarity with creating and executing test plans or validation plans for software or hardware systems.
• A hands‑on approach to problem‑solving, including debugging and triaging technical issues.
• General understanding of electrical systems such as motors, sensors, cameras, and onboard computers.
• Experience working in a Linux environment, including using command‑line tools effectively.
• Familiarity with tools like Git for version control, Bazel for build and test management and Jira for task tracking.
• Basic understanding of networking concepts such as RPC or sockets.
• Experience working with CI tools like GitHub Actions, Buildkite, or similar.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills to document test results and track issues effectively.

Responsibilities

• Assist in executing Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) tests and flight tests to validate the interaction between Zipline’s Zip, Droid, and Dock systems.
• Collaborate with a wide range of engineers from different teams to build and refine automated pipelines that test software before it is deployed in flight.
• Design and improve tools that stress‑test the system in off‑nominal cases.
• Analyze and troubleshoot hardware and software issues uncovered during testing, contributing to system improvements.
• Work alongside a multidisciplinary team to design and execute system‑level validation plans.
• Develop and enhance scripts and tools to support automated testing workflows.
• Learn how to ensure reliability and quality in complex, safety‑critical systems, gaining valuable insights into real‑world engineering challenges.

Skills

Rust

Python

Pytest

Unittest

Linux

Education

Undergraduate student (2nd year)

Masters/PhD eligible

Tools

Git

Bazel

Jira

GitHub Actions

Buildkite

Job description

Zipline seeks a System Validation Intern to contribute to testing Zipline’s complete system of systems—Zip, Droid, and Dock. You’ll help build automated testing pipelines and ensure software meets strict quality standards before flight tests.

You will work closely with a supportive team, gaining hands-on experience with cutting-edge tools and technologies while solving meaningful challenges in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.