Responsibilities
- Assist with hardware-in-the-loop and flight tests validating interactions among Zipline’s Zip, Droid, and Dock systems.
- Build and refine automated pipelines that test software before flight deployment.
- Design tools to stress-test systems in off-nominal scenarios.
- Analyze and troubleshoot hardware and software issues identified during testing.
- Design and execute system-level validation plans with multidisciplinary engineering teams.
- Develop scripts and tools supporting automated testing workflows.
- Document test results and track issues while contributing to system reliability and quality improvements.
Requirements
- Must have completed the second year of undergraduate studies; master’s and PhD students are also eligible.
- Strong understanding of engineering design fundamentals and ability to triage issues and identify technical root causes.
- Experience writing Rust or Python scripts for task or test automation through coursework or personal projects.
- Hands-on experience writing Python tests with Pytest or Unittest.
- Familiarity with creating and executing software or hardware test and validation plans.
- Hands-on debugging and technical issue triage experience.
- General understanding of electrical systems, including motors, sensors, cameras, and onboard computers.
- Experience working in Linux and using command-line tools.
- Familiarity with Git, Bazel, and Jira.
- Basic understanding of networking concepts such as RPC or sockets.
- Experience with CI tools such as GitHub Actions, Buildkite, or similar.
- Strong attention to detail and organizational skills for documenting results and tracking issues.
Benefits
- Full-time Summer 2027 internship running approximately May/June through August/September.
- In-person work at Zipline’s South San Francisco office.
- Hands-on experience with hardware-in-the-loop, flight testing, and safety-critical autonomous logistics systems.
- Opportunity to work with experienced engineers on systems delivering healthcare, food, and essential goods worldwide.
About Zipline
Zipline was founded to create the first logistics system that serves all humans equally. Our aim is to solve the world’s most urgent and complex access challenges. Leveraging expertise in robotics and autonomy, Zipline designs, manufactures and operates the world’s largest automated delivery system. Zipline serves tens of millions of people around the world and is making good on the promise of building an equitable and more resilient global supply chain. From powering Rwanda’s national blood delivery network and Ghana’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution, to providing on-demand home delivery for Walmart and enabling leading healthcare providers to bring care into the home in the United States, Zipline is transforming the way goods move. By transitioning to clean, electric, instant logistics, we can decarbonize delivery, decrease road congestion, and reduce fossil fuel consumption and air pollution, while providing equitable access for billions of people. The technology is complex but the idea is simple: a teleportation service that delivers what you need, when you need it. Zipline is inspiring people, governments, and businesses to imagine what is possible when goods can move as seamlessly as information. To join the team, check out our career page: https://flyzipline.com/careers/