Senior Mechanical Design Engineer - Avionics

$150,000 - $210,000/Yr

Zipline International - South San Francisco, CA

Full-time - Mid Level

South San Francisco, CA

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About the position

Zipline is seeking talented engineers to design and integrate critical electronic systems for their vehicles, focusing on the mechanical design of flight computers and perception systems. The role involves collaboration with multidisciplinary teams to optimize vehicle systems and ensure the hardware meets safety and reliability requirements. Engineers will own the product outcome from inception through design, prototyping, launch, and service, contributing to Zipline's mission of transforming logistics and delivery systems globally.

Responsibilities

• Fully own the integration of critical flight electronics into the Zipline family of vehicles.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams on vehicle level optimizations and system designs.
• Use hand calculations, FEA, statistics, test campaigns, and CAD to ensure hardware meets safety and reliability requirements.
• Lead design reviews and document work clearly and robustly.
• Serve as a technical interface with suppliers, manufacturers, and customers (internal and external).
• Own the positive product outcome from inception through design, prototyping, launch, and service.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in an engineering discipline.
• Experience designing components and systems optimizing for conflicting requirements.
• Demonstrated CAD fluency (any software).
• Willing to travel as needed to bring up suppliers.
• Must be willing to relocate to the San Francisco Bay area working regularly out of Zipline HQ.
• Minimum 5 years of experience outside of a classroom setting.

Nice-to-haves

• Excellent communication - written, verbal, and visual.
• Demonstrated ownership of hardware through the full product life cycle outside of a classroom setting.
• Experience designing and producing systems with embedded electronics.
• Experience solving ESD/EMI integration problems.
• Experience with radio frequency communication hardware.
• Experience designing safety-critical aerospace or automotive products.
• Demonstrated excellence in mechanical engineering, statics, and rigid body kinematics.
• Experience in heat transfer and thermal management of power electronics.
• Experience in high volume production (100K units/year).
• Experience in drafting, engineering drawings, and GD&T.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Paid time off
• Equity compensation
• Discretionary annual or performance bonuses
• Sales incentives