Hiring: New Products Ground Systems Mechanical Design Engineer Company: Zipline Location: South San Francisco, CA Job Posted Time: 2026-09-10 10:33:46 Target Skills & Keywords : CAD About the job Required Skills: •The New Products team invents Zipline’s next generation of products. We are developing ground systems that enable our aircraft to safely and rapidly launch, recover, recharge, and prepare for their next mission. These systems combine robotics, mechanisms, sensing, controls, structures, and operations, and will be deployed worldwide. •Own mechanical product development for next-generation ground systems: turning ambiguous concepts into reliable, manufacturable hardware that works around autonomous aircraft and in field operations. Your work will shape systems from architecture through validation, early production, and deployment. •Own architecture, mechanical design, build, and validation of automated ground systems from concept through testing at flight test sites, early production and deployment into the field. •Design structures, precision mechanisms, electromechanical assemblies, and integrated hardware for aircraft launch, recovery, recharge, and mission preparation. •Reduce technical risk through first-principles analysis, rapid prototypes, instrumented testing, and design iteration. •Define and execute validation that demonstrates performance, reliability, safety, manufacturability, and operational usability before production release. •Partner with electrical, software, controls, manufacturing, operations, civil engineering, and supply chain teams to deliver complete system solutions. •Interface directly with suppliers and manufacturing partners to translate prototypes into production-ready assemblies, resolving design-for-manufacturing and quality issues. Qualifications: •Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals, including structural analysis, mechanism design, CAD, tolerancing, and design for manufacturing. •Practical knowledge of machining, sheet metal, welded structures, castings, molded parts, and mechanical assemblies. •Demonstrated ability to solve ambiguous engineering problems through hands-on prototyping, experimentation, and sound technical judgment. •Demonstrated capacity to design reliable machinery for operational environments where safety, human interaction, and autonomous-aircraft interfaces matter. •Clear technical communication and the ability to lead cross-functional decisions across engineering, manufacturing, and operations. •What Else You Need To Know Compensation: •$135,000 - $220,000 / year Interested candidates, please apply directly through the job posting on company's career page or try via AI auto apply on this platform. Don't miss this opportunity to join a forward-thinking team!