Senior Mechanical Engineer, Long Range Platform 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 You and the Role

You are excited by the challenge of designing complex electromechanical systems from early concept to scaled production and real-world deployment. You enjoy owning hardware deeply: defining requirements, developing architectures, building and iterating prototypes, validating performance, and partnering across disciplines to bring robust designs into production.

As a Senior Mechanical Engineer on the Long Range Platform, you will lead the design and development of hardware that must perform reliably in demanding field conditions. You will drive engineering decisions across the full product lifecycle, from first principles analysis and hands-on prototyping through validation, manufacturing ramp, and deployment. This role requires strong technical judgment, high ownership, and a willingness to move fluidly between detailed mechanical design work and broader system-level tradeoffs.

You will work closely with Electrical, Software, Integration, Test, Manufacturing, Operations, and Supply Chain teams to deliver hardware that is not only functional, but manufacturable, inspectable, serviceable, and built to scale.

What You’ll Do

• Own critical mechanical systems and assemblies from concept through production and deployment
• Develop elegant, practical design solutions for highly integrated electromechanical hardware
• Translate product and system requirements into robust mechanical architectures, detailed designs, and validation plans
• Perform first-principles analysis, hand calculations, tolerance analysis, and FEA to inform design decisions
• Build prototypes, run experiments, and iterate quickly based on test data and field needs
• Partner with suppliers to improve manufacturability, quality, cost, and scalability
• Drive design reviews and cross-functional decision-making with Electrical, Software, Integration, Test, and Production teams
• Ensure designs meet requirements for safety, performance, reliability, manufacturability, and serviceability
• Support hardware through build, qualification, and production ramp, staying close to issues until they are fully resolved
• Contribute to a culture of high standards, fast learning, and mission-driven execution

What You’ll Bring

Must Have Experience / Skill Sets

• 4+ years of full-time industry experience designing electromechanical and structural assemblies
• Proven ownership of complex subassemblies or full systems through multiple product development cycles
• Demonstrated CAD fluency for system-level ownership (3D/2D of 20–30 parts simultaneously)
• Experience working directly with suppliers and incorporating DFM feedback into design decisions
• Experience working on structural components and mechanisms, identifying worst-case loads, creating quick test setups
• Strong foundation in GD&T, FEA, design for assembly, and design for real-world field operation
• Hands-on prototyping experience and a track record of moving quickly through build-test-iterate cycles
• Ability to use hand calculations to bound problems and validate designs(beam, buckling, bolted joints, etc.)
• Knowledge of appropriate safety margins for human safety critical applications
• Experience with electromechanical assemblies including PCBAs, sensors, and connectors
• Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills

Nice To Haves

• Aerospace or automotive validation experience
• Experience scaling hardware from prototype builds to production processes such as injection molding, stamping, extrusion, or other high-volume methods
• Experience with carbon fiber composite structures
• Explicit experience with high-efficiency electric powertrain components
• Experience working with highly integrated electromechanical assemblies with system-level constraints
• Ability to think beyond just mechanical engineering– proven track record of addressing the reliability, maintenance, systems, and safety aspects of a complex system
• NX as your primary CAD tool

What Else You Need to Know The starting cash range for this role is $145,000 – $225,000. Please note that these are starting salary ranges that represent multiple internal levels. The final cash pay will depend on experience, qualifications, skills, location, and projected impact. Total compensation will also include equity, incentives, and benefits such as medical, dental, vision, paid time off, and more.

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 traditionally underrepresented in tech. If you like the sound of this position but are not sure if you are the perfect fit, please apply.

If you’d like to learn more about Zipline and our teams, feel free to check out our Instagram, one of our Reddit AMAs, or our website.