Flight Test Operator - Esparto,CA

Zipline•Esparto, CA

2d•$28 - $38•Onsite

About The Position

Zipline is the world’s largest and most experienced drone delivery service, aiming to serve all humans equally by ensuring access to essential goods. They design, build, and operate an autonomous logistics system, making deliveries globally. The company has flown millions of commercial autonomous miles safely and is redefining access to healthcare, consumer products, and food. Zipline seeks practical problem solvers who thrive on real-world challenges and rapid growth, motivated by building systems with a direct, meaningful impact. This role is for a hands-on Flight Test Operator focused on executing high-volume flight testing to prove the safety, reliability, and operational readiness of Zipline’s aircraft and delivery systems. The operator will conduct repeatable flight operations across various mission profiles, environmental conditions, and system configurations to identify failure modes, validate performance, and build confidence in the system at scale. This involves working at Zipline’s test site(s) and coordinating closely with reliability engineering, software, hardware, safety, maintenance, manufacturing, and field operations to implement test results into measurable system improvements. The role is critical for exposing risks before they reach customers, strengthening the safety case for the technology, and directly improving the reliability of every delivery.

Requirements

FAA Part 107 certification (required at time of joining)
Experience piloting drones or manned aircraft
Demonstrated aeronautical decision making and accountability: experience owning go/no-go decisions, creating preflight checklists, and escalating safety incidents with clear documentation
Operational intensity and logistics: Comfortable working in high-tempo, failure-heavy field environments where consistent execution, rapid diagnostics, and repairs under time pressure are routine; able to lift and move 50+ lb equipment and work outdoors for multi-hour test windows
Ownership and communication: Proven ability to own test campaigns end-to-end, maintain high standards across repetitive operations, make safety-forward go/no-go decisions, document results clearly, and coordinate across engineering, safety, maintenance, and manufacturing to drive closure
Safety and reliability mindset: Able to recognize trends across repeated operations, identify emerging risks, and maintain attention to detail during high-volume testing
Must be a US citizen or Permanent Resident.
Must be able to relocate to Yolo County, CA

Nice To Haves

Linux command-line comfort
Experience with reliability or endurance testing
Basic mechanical or electrical troubleshooting skills
Experience with automated flight systems

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end daily flight test campaign execution - Acting as Remote Pilot in Command for Zipline’s Autonomous Aircraft - executing high-volume mission profiles, reliability testing, regression testing, and fault injection testing
Validate system performance through repeatable ground and flight test procedures across varied operating conditions
Troubleshoot and repair software and hardware issues on-site to safely and efficiently return aircraft to flight
Summarize test results: provide qualitative and quantitative analysis on aircraft and system performance - comparing results to expected outcomes, reliability targets, and safety requirements
Escalate flight performance anomalies, recurring failures, and emerging safety risks to engineering and safety, driving discussion towards containment and resolution
Enforce and improve site safety: manage risks during high-tempo flight operations, run briefings and debriefs, identify operational hazards, and refine SOPs to prevent repeat failures
Support continuous improvement of test operations by identifying opportunities to increase throughput, consistency, data quality, and operational efficiency without compromising safety