Senior Flight Test Engineer

Zipline•South San Francisco, CA

9h•$137,000 - $195,000

About The Position

Zipline is seeking a Senior Flight Test Engineer to lead comprehensive flight test campaigns and integrate automated testing infrastructure into its autonomous delivery system. The role involves developing a deep understanding of the end-to-end logistics system and working with cross-functional partners to quickly assess changes across hardware, software, and operations. Flight testing serves as the final line of defense before systems are deployed globally for critical real-world deliveries. The engineer will own system-level flight test campaigns from planning through execution and analysis, translating complex engineering questions into effective test programs and using data and automation to accelerate learning. The position may be hired at the Flight Test Engineer or Senior Flight Test Engineer level, with level and base salary determined through the interview process.

Requirements

At least 3 years designing, developing, or validating autonomous robotic systems.
Strong ability to analyze and interpret large test data sets for engineering decisions.
Experience bringing up and debugging hardware and software systems for automated platforms.
Systems-level reasoning across structures, aerodynamics, embedded systems, and software.
Sound judgment about when to move quickly with pragmatic solutions and when to invest in durable infrastructure, process, and tooling.
Experience maintaining and enforcing safety in a fast-paced, rapidly evolving environment.
Willingness to travel domestically and internationally for flight testing, approximately 2–6 weeks per year, and work outdoors in varying weather conditions.

Nice To Haves

UAS experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and lead end-to-end flight test campaigns validating aircraft performance, delivery and pickup operations, docking systems, and fleet orchestration.
Define system-level objectives, success criteria, and test plans with mechanical, electrical, software, systems, and operations partners.
Assess hardware and software readiness, evaluate risk posture, and make flight-readiness decisions before test execution.
Analyze flight data to identify anomalies, trends, and opportunities for continuous improvement.
Produce deployment-readiness recommendations and prioritized corrective actions based on campaign evidence.
Build and integrate automated test tooling to improve test precision, insight, capacity, and velocity.
Travel domestically and internationally for flight testing, approximately 2–6 weeks per year, and work outdoors in varying weather conditions.