Electrical Project Engineer Intern (Fall 2026)

Zipline•South San Francisco, CA

15h•$44•Onsite

About The Position

Zipline is the world’s largest and most experienced drone delivery service, aiming to serve all humans equally by providing access to essential goods. The company designs, builds, and operates an autonomous logistics system, making millions of deliveries globally. Zipline operates on four continents and is redefining access to healthcare, consumer products, and food. The company seeks practical problem solvers who thrive on real-world challenges and rapid growth, motivated by building systems with a meaningful impact. The Ground Systems Deployment and Construction team is responsible for developing functional drone charging sites. This cross-functional team includes expertise in civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and construction engineering, with a goal of delivering world-class construction execution that is on-time, on-budget, and uses scalable, cost-optimized designs. The Electrical Engineering Intern will support the design and deployment of Zipline’s Ground Systems. This role offers hands-on experience with commercial and light-industrial electrical distribution within an autonomous drone delivery network. The intern will work with experienced engineers on utility coordination, site-level electrical design, structure-level wiring, and technical documentation. Collaboration with mechanical, structural, electrical, and deployment teams is expected, along with contributing to problem-solving and process improvements. Familiarity with the National Electrical Code (NEC) will be developed and applied to designs. The internship is based in South San Francisco, with potential for occasional travel.

Requirements

Must have completed the second year of undergraduate studies, with relevant coursework (e.g., circuits, power systems, construction). Master's and PhD students are also eligible.
Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and a willingness to ask questions and learn.
Familiarity with engineering tools or concepts such as CAD/ECAD, electrical modeling, or basic simulation software. (Revit, Bluebeam Revu, AutoCAD, NX)
Clear written and verbal communication skills, especially when summarizing technical information.
Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment and support a wide range of tasks.
Curiosity, initiative, and a proactive approach to problem-solving.
Comfort with hands-on work and openness to occasional travel (if needed).
An open mind to help us bring Zipline’s service to new and existing customers!

Responsibilities

Support engineers with research, drafting, and documentation for electrical distribution and structure-level wiring designs aligned with NEC and relevant standards.
Assist with UL/TUV certification efforts by gathering documentation, preparing technical materials, and coordinating with engineering partners.
Help prepare materials, track communication, and support interactions with deployment and construction teams.
Implement feedback from Deployment and Construction teams to continuously optimize designs for more efficient build and scale.
Design electrical distribution of commercial and light industrial ground system projects per NEC and relevant applicable codes and standards.
Design next generation charging structure level electrical wiring and installation approaches.
Evaluate all options and a lean budget, select best vendors to ensure reliable and quality services and products.
Help document project risks, prepare materials for meetings, support communication across teams, and occasionally participate in site visits for field observations.
Create documentation to ensure quality and process refinement between each build to help with consistent scale.
Collaborate with engineering and business teams to understand customer needs and contribute to improvements in Ground Systems infrastructure.
Travel to commercial and flight test sites may be required on an ad hoc basis.