Engineering Test Technician – Ground Systems

Zipline • South San Francisco, CA

8d

About The Position

The Ground Systems team designs, builds, tests, and maintains the infrastructure that supports Zipline’s autonomous delivery systems. This includes charging and docking equipment, battery handling systems, electrical power distribution, communications hardware, embedded controls, package handling equipment, environmental monitoring systems, and the test infrastructure used to validate them.
As an Engineering Test Technician, you will be a hands-on member of the engineering team responsible for building, testing, troubleshooting, and improving electrical hardware and test systems. You will work closely with Electrical, Mechanical, Embedded Software, Systems, Manufacturing, and Operations teams to support products from early prototypes through validation, qualification, manufacturing, and field deployment.
You enjoy solving practical hardware problems, working directly with electrical and electromechanical systems, and taking ownership of tasks from setup through documentation. You are comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment, communicate clearly across disciplines, and look for ways to improve safety, quality, reliability, and repeatability.

Requirements

• 2–5+ years of experience in engineering test, electronics, manufacturing test, new product introduction, or a related hands-on hardware role.
• Hands-on experience building, testing, and troubleshooting electrical hardware systems, prototypes, or test equipment.
• Proficiency with soldering, wire harness fabrication, crimping, connector assembly, wire termination, and PCB rework.
• Experience using oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, data acquisition systems, and other electrical laboratory equipment.
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, assembly drawings, and test procedures.
• Experience collecting test data, executing technical procedures, and documenting results clearly.
• Basic familiarity with Linux-based systems and automated test environments.
• Strong troubleshooting, problem-solving, attention to detail, and commitment to quality.
• Ability to work independently with limited instruction while collaborating effectively across engineering teams.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills and a willingness to learn new tools, technologies, and test methods.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with automated test equipment, data acquisition systems, or Python scripting for test automation and troubleshooting.
• Experience in aerospace, robotics, autonomous systems, electric vehicles, or other complex electromechanical products.
• Experience supporting new product introduction, engineering validation, or qualification programs.
• Experience with environmental testing, including thermal, vibration, or ingress protection testing.
• Familiarity with CAD, fixture design, rapid prototyping, reliability testing, or structured root cause analysis.
• Experience creating or improving standard operating procedures, work instructions, and engineering documentation.

Responsibilities

• Build and assemble electrical hardware: Assemble and modify electrical prototypes, wire harnesses, test fixtures, breakout boards, and engineering builds. Perform soldering, wire termination, crimping, heat shrinking, connector assembly, and PCB rework to engineering standards. Verify wiring, harness integrity, continuity, and build quality before testing. Follow build documentation and communicate discrepancies, design concerns, and improvement opportunities to engineering teams.
• Create and execute engineering tests: Create, maintain, and operate electrical and electromechanical test setups based on engineering requirements. Configure and use oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, data acquisition systems, environmental chambers, and data logging tools. Execute functional, environmental, reliability, qualification, and field-simulation testing. Collect, organize, and document test results in a structured and repeatable manner.
• Troubleshoot and investigate failures: Diagnose electrical, mechanical, and system-level failures in prototypes, test fixtures, and deployed hardware. Debug wiring issues, communication failures, sensor anomalies, power distribution problems, and data acquisition systems. Partner with engineering teams to isolate root causes, support corrective actions, and clearly communicate findings and recommendations.
• Support data collection and analysis: Support automated test execution and data acquisition using engineering tools, scripts, Linux-based systems, sensors, and test equipment. Validate and organize test data for engineering review, perform first-order analysis, and identify anomalies or unexpected behavior. Generate clear summaries of test results, risks, failures, and recommended next steps.
• Improve documentation, processes, and lab operations: Create and improve test procedures, work instructions, and standard operating procedures. Maintain accurate records of builds, tests, failures, and corrective actions. Maintain laboratory equipment, fixtures, tooling, and test infrastructure, including calibration and safe operating status. Identify and implement opportunities to improve test efficiency, reliability, safety, quality, and repeatability. Support inventory management for components, consumables, and test hardware.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed