Technical Program Manager - Ground System Deployments and Construction

Namely; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Zipline is seeking a Technical Program Manager to own the Ground System Deployments and Construction program, guiding global site rollout from design through field deployment. You will collaborate with Design, Engineering, Real Estate, Construction, Maintenance, and Service Operations to resolve cross-disciplinary decisions and mitigate lifecycle risks.

Your work will drive predictable deployments, improve build-cycle performance, and ensure reliable infrastructure while turning field learnings

Qualifications

• 6–10+ years as a Technical Program Manager delivering multidisciplinary hardware, infrastructure, robotics, or similar technical programs.
• Experience taking complex physical systems from prototype through scaled deployment, including 0-to-1 programs.
• Experience partnering with construction and service-operations teams in field environments.

Responsibilities

• Build milestone-driven roadmaps for infrastructure programs, defining scope, sequencing, resources, dependencies, decision owners, and escalation paths.
• Coordinate prototypes, builds, and site deployments across structural, electrical, manufacturing, software, construction, and field teams.
• Lead technical reviews and trade studies that resolve design-to-build decisions and translate engineering intent into field-ready systems.
• Own program health through deployment predictability, build-cycle performance, infrastructure reliability, and lifecycle-risk reduction; prioritize work accordingly.
• Identify, quantify, and mitigate pre-construction, construction, and operational risks with internal teams, jurisdictions, utilities, and contractors.
• Create practical playbooks, decision logs, and service feedback loops to improve deployment execution and future infrastructure maintainability.

Skills

Technical Program Management

Hardware programs

Cross-functional leadership

Roadmapping

Stakeholder management

Communication

Tools

Jira

MS Project

Smartsheet

Job description

About Zipline

Zipline is the world’s largest and most experienced drone delivery service. We are on a mission to serve all humans equally by ensuring access to food, medicine and essential goods anytime, anywhere. We design, build, and operate the world’s largest autonomous logistics system, delivering critical supplies quickly and reliably. Today, Zipline operates on four continents, makes a delivery somewhere in the world every 30 seconds, and has completed millions of deliveries to date, including blood, vaccines, medical supplies, food, and retail products.

Our customers include the world’s largest and most prominent healthcare systems, governments, retailers, restaurants and global businesses who rely on us to save lives, reduce emissions, increase economic opportunity, and provide delivery from point A to point B as fast as possible. The drone is only 15% of what we’ve built to enable seamless, reliable, global operations.

Our system strengthens supply chains, reduces congestion, and gives people time back. With more than 140 million commercial autonomous miles safely flown, Zipline is redefining access to healthcare, consumer products, and food across the globe.

We operate at a global scale and are looking for practical problem solvers who thrive on real-world challenges and rapid growth. Our team is motivated by building systems that have a direct, meaningful impact on people’s lives and by scaling the future of logistics. We are seeking people who sculpt from first principles, enjoy facing adversity, and can do the impossible at record breaking speeds.

About You and The Role

Zipline’s Deployment, Construction, and Service Operations team turns bare ground into operational delivery sites. The work connects site design, engineering, construction, installation, and service so autonomous delivery infrastructure can be built, operated, and improved in the field.

As Technical Program Manager - Ground System Deployments and Construction, you will own the program structure that makes global site rollout predictable, efficient, and reliable. You will work closely with Design, Engineering, Real Estate, Construction, Maintenance, and Service Operations to resolve cross-disciplinary decisions, expose lifecycle risks, and turn field learning into deployable infrastructure.

What You'll Do

• Build milestone-driven roadmaps for ambiguous infrastructure programs, defining scope, sequencing, resourcing, dependencies, decision owners, and escalation paths across parallel site initiatives.
• Coordinate prototypes, builds, and site deployments across structural, electrical, manufacturing, software, construction, and field teams.
• Lead technical reviews and trade studies that resolve design-to-build decisions and translate engineering intent into field-ready systems.
• Own program health through deployment predictability, build-cycle performance, infrastructure reliability, and lifecycle-risk reduction; use these measures to prioritize work and elevate tradeoffs.
• Identify, quantify, and mitigate pre-construction, construction, and operational risks with internal teams, jurisdictions, utilities, and contractors.
• Create practical playbooks, decision logs, and service feedback loops that improve deployment execution and future infrastructure maintainability.

What You'll Bring

• 6–10+ years as a Technical Program Manager or Program Manager delivering multidisciplinary hardware, infrastructure, robotics, aerospace, energy, or similar technical programs.
• Experience taking complex physical systems from prototype through scaled deployment, including ambiguous or 0-to-1 program phases.
• Experience partnering closely with construction and service-operations teams, or directly relevant experience delivering infrastructure in field environments.
• Ability to manage multiple parallel technical programs while maintaining clear scope, schedule, budget, dependencies, risks, and decisions.
• Ability to build roadmaps and use tools such as Jira, MS Project, or Smartsheet to track program execution.
• Systems judgment to enter unfamiliar technical domains, understand tradeoffs, and help technical teams converge on practical decisions.
• Clear written and verbal communication, strong facilitation, and the ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders without direct authority.

What Else You Need To Know

Zipline is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws or our own sensibilities.

We value diversity at Zipline and welcome applications from those who are traditionally underrepresented in tech. If you like the sound of this position but are not sure if you are the perfect fit, please apply!