Design Manager / Projects Manager at Zipline · South…

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 Zipline

Do you want to change the world? Zipline is on a mission to transform the way goods move. Our aim is to solve the world’s most urgent and complex access challenges by building, manufacturing and operating the first instant delivery and logistics system that serves all humans equally, wherever they are.

From powering Rwanda’s national blood delivery network and Ghana’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution, to providing on-demand home delivery for Walmart, to enabling healthcare providers to bring care directly to U.S. homes, we are transforming the way things move for businesses, governments and consumers.

The technology is complex but the idea is simple: a teleportation service that delivers what you need, when you need it. Through our technology that includes robotics and autonomy, we are decarbonizing delivery, decreasing road congestion, and reducing fossil fuel consumption and air pollution, while providing equitable access to billions of people and building a more resilient global supply chain.

About the Role

Zipline is building a distributed physical infrastructure network to support autonomous delivery. As the Design Manager / Projects Manager, you will be the technical orchestrator of our expansion engine, responsible for managing the design lifecycle of ground systems across multiple metros in parallel. You will bridge the gap between site acquisition and construction, ensuring that every site has a flawless technical and tactical roadmap and is excuted betaing time and schedule goals.

This is a high-impact role. You aren't just managing drawings; you are accelerating the deployment of a new industry. You will lead the process for technical permit sets—specifically Civil and Electrical—driving them from initial conceptual layouts through rigorous city reviews to final permit release. You must be a "general athlete" who can speak the language of engineers, city planners, and contractors and internal stakeholders to resolve timeline-blocking issues before they impact our launch dates.

What You’ll Do

• Project and Program Ownership
  • Own the end-to-end delivery and design process for multiple concurrent site development projects across diverse metros, spanning concept through permit approval and construction drawing issuance.
  • Drive and accelerate project schedules, ensuring timely progression through key milestones (concept, permit submission, IFC).
  • Proactively identify and resolve schedule constraints, technical roadblocks, design, constructability, and site constraints early to reduce downstream risk and rework.
  • Manage project budgets related to design, engineering.
  • Track risks, dependencies, and critical path items across the portfolio of projects.
• Design and Technical Workflow Management
  • Oversee the creation, refinement, and adjustment of Civil and Electrical engineering drawing sets, managing the workflow from Initial Layouts -> Permit Sets -> Construction Release.
  • Manage and coordinate cross-functional design teams (civil, electrical, structural, architectural) to produce complete, compliant drawing sets.
  • Standardize design processes, templates, and specifications to improve scalability and consistency across sites.
  • Drive "design for deployability" by providing feedback loops to hardware engineering teams based on field insights and jurisdictional constraints.
• Permitting and Regulatory Tracking
  • Oversee permitting submissions across multiple sites, metros, and jurisdictions, , including coordination with Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) and utility providers as needed.
  • Act as the primary internal manager of the submission process, incorporating city comments, and securing approvals to fast-track permit release.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration and Handoff
  • Act as the primary point of contact across internal stakeholders, external consultants, and third-party partners.
  • Partner with Real Estate, Civil/Electrical Engineers, and Construction Managers to ensure site designs are both compliant and "buildable".
  • Support contractor bidding and preconstruction activities by ensuring the completeness and clarity of construction documents.
  • Coordinate the handoff to construction teams, ensuring alignment on scope, design intent, and execution requirements.

What You’ll Bring

• Foundational Experience and Education

  • Possess a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience).
  • Have 6-10+ years of experience in Design Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Infrastructure Delivery, site development, infrastructure projects, or light commercial construction.
  • Prior experience as an Engineer of Record (EOR) or Architect of Record is a plus.
  • Experience in industries such as EV charging infrastructure, solar, telecom, or commercial site development is preferred but not required.

• Technical Fluency and Design Knowledge

  • Deep understanding of construction drawings and specifications across multiple trades and disciplines.
  • Basic knowledge of civil engineering design, including grading, drainage, and utilities, and basic knowledge of electrical site design fundamentals, including distribution and NEC codes.
  • Ability to read, interpret, and review technical drawings and specifications across multiple disciplines.

• Project Management and Execution

  • Demonstrated experience managing multiple concurrent, high-priority, and "0 to 1" projects through design, permitting, and construction documentation phases without losing critical details.
  • Proven ability to manage schedules, budgets, and cross-functional dependencies in complex projects.
  • Familiarity with project management tools like Procore or Bluebeam is a plus.
  • Experience managing external consultants (engineering firms, architects) and driving deliverable accountability.

• Regulatory and Permitting Expertise

  • Familiarity with permitting processes, zoning requirements, and coordination with local jurisdictions and utilities.

• Communication and Adaptability

  • Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to interface with technical and non-technical teams.
  • Ability to translate complex technical decisions into clear business value for customers and simple "actionable tasks" for contractors.
  • Experience working in fast-paced, evolving environments where progress must be driven with imperfect or ambiguous information (Resilience and Grit).

• CAD Experience: Familiarity with CAD software (e.g., Autodesk products) or a demonstrated willingness to learn independently

Zipline's "Great" Candidate Criteria

• Good candidates manage the checklist; Great candidates challenge requirements to ensure the best outcome for the company’s scalability.
• Great candidates don't just solve problems; they implement systemic changes to prevent the problem from occurring in the next 100 sites.
• Great candidates treat permits not as a bureaucratic hurdle, but as a strategic milestone to be proactively shaped and accelerated.

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!