Mechatronics Engineer, Production Test
About The Position
Zipline is hiring a Mechatronics Engineer, Production Test to own electrical, functional, and automated test systems that verify aircraft, docks, delivery pods, and subassembly hardware at production scale. The role is part of the manufacturing engineering team and will lead end-to-end test-system delivery for factory floors supporting high-throughput manufacturing and rapid product iterations. The position prioritizes safety, traceability, and measurable improvements in yield and time-to-deploy, with production testing directly affecting fleet uptime, field reliability, and customer deliveries. The role is based at Zipline’s South San Francisco manufacturing site, with an onsite-first approach and regular presence on the factory floor. Travel to other Zipline sites or vendor locations may be required for launches and validations. The specific focus will reflect the candidate’s strengths and the team’s needs.
Requirements
- At least 2 years building production test systems, automated test equipment, or end-of-line testers for electro-mechanical or mechatronic products.
- Demonstrated ownership of multiple shipped tester programs.
- A BS in Electrical, Mechatronics, Mechanical, or Computer Engineering, or equivalent experience.
- Hands-on skills in instrumentation, signal measurement, power delivery, harnessing, sensors, actuators, and PCBA debugging.
- Strong test-automation experience.
- Familiarity with CAN, UART, Ethernet, I2C, SPI, USB, and firmware-hardware interactions.
- A record of measurable production improvements, cross-functional coordination, and vendor qualification.
- Rigorous attention to safety, traceability, hands-on troubleshooting, and technical judgment under production pressure.
Nice To Haves
- 5–7 years of relevant experience preferred.
- Python is preferred.
- Experience with LabVIEW, TestStand, or embedded test frameworks and common test instruments.
Responsibilities
- Build electrical and functional testers integrating harnessing, DAQ, sensors, actuators, power systems, safety interlocks, and mechanical fixtures.
- Own production testers and calibration stations from requirements through internal or vendor build, installation, validation, release, and sustainment.
- Define test coverage, pass/fail limits, golden units, GR&R, capability targets, and release criteria with design, firmware, quality, and operations partners.
- Implement test automation and data pipelines for repeatable execution, logging, MES/MFG integration, and production dashboards.
- Troubleshoot PCBA failures, tester instability, fixture issues, software defects, and product/tester correlation failures on the factory floor.
- Improve first-pass yield, false-fail rate, cycle time, uptime, and utilization; set targets and report progress monthly.
- Coordinate vendor builds, FAT/SAT, qualification, training, calibration, spares, and change control.
- Standardize tester interfaces and automation to reduce operator steps and touch time; maintain procedures, validation records, and maintenance plans for traceable production.
- Deliver and validate production tester programs with documented acceptance criteria and production-release evidence.
- Sustain traceable, repeatable test execution and report progress against agreed production goals.
Benefits
- Medical insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Paid time off
- Equity compensation may be included.
- Discretionary annual or performance bonuses may be included.
- Sales incentives may be included.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
