Site Acquisition Manager - Southern California

Zipline•San Diego, CA

4h•$120,000 - $160,000•Hybrid

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 anytime, anywhere. They operate the world's largest autonomous logistics system, making millions of deliveries globally. Zipline is seeking practical problem solvers who thrive on real-world challenges and rapid growth, motivated by building systems with a direct, meaningful impact. The Site Acquisition Manager will be the spearhead for network expansion, focusing on sourcing, qualifying, negotiating, contracting, and handing off sites for the Southern California region. This is a deal-focused role requiring high-volume outreach and the ability to turn rejections into signed agreements. The role involves close collaboration with cross-functional teams but holds the individual accountable for pace, quality, and results. It is designed for someone who thrives with autonomy, moves fast with disciplined process, and consistently meets aggressive targets. The position requires up to 20% domestic travel within the Southern California region.

Requirements

3+ years of site acquisition / real estate dealmaking experience (distributed infrastructure, retail rollouts, QSR, convenience, telecom, logistics, industrial, or similar).
Proven ability to source and close deals end-to-end (not just support).
Strong negotiation and contracting instincts with sophisticated counterparties.
Experience driving contracting workflows (LOI → definitive agreement) and managing multiple concurrent redlines with Legal.
Working knowledge of early feasibility considerations (zoning/land-use, access, utilities, permitting constraints) to qualify sites pre-signature.
Strong organizational rigor and CRM discipline; proficiency with a CRM system (e.g., Salesforce or equivalent) for pipeline management and forecasting.
Ability to travel up to 20% across the Southern California region.
Authorized to work in the U.S

Nice To Haves

Experience executing multi-site rollouts and/or building standardized acquisition programs (templates, broker programs, playbooks).
Track record winning competitive sites under tight timelines.
Existing broker/owner network in key North American metros.
Experience in regulated or infrastructure-heavy environments (aviation, EV charging, telecom, logistics, industrial).

Responsibilities

Own the top of funnel (pipeline creation) by building and maintaining a robust pipeline across assigned markets using broker networks and direct-to-owner sourcing.
Run a high-activity outreach engine (cold outreach, tours, meetings, relationship development) to maintain healthy pipeline coverage.
Develop territory plans including target lists, corridor prioritization, competitive mapping, and weekly pipeline forecasts.
Close deals (LOI → signature) by leading negotiations end-to-end from LOIs/term sheets through definitive agreements (ground leases/licenses, amendments, exhibits) in partnership with Legal.
Secure infrastructure-critical rights and protections including access, easements, construction rights, utility coordination, options/renewals, exclusivity/non-interference, assignment, insurance/indemnity, cure periods/remedies, and termination rights.
Maintain contracting velocity when Legal bandwidth is constrained by triaging redlines, batching issues, using templates/playbooks, and escalating decisions with clear options.
Drive early diligence to avoid dead ends, focusing on zoning/land-use feasibility, access/egress, utilities, title/easements, environmental red flags, and basic constructability considerations.
Create clear internal “site packages” that surface risks early and align stakeholders before pushing to signature.
Maintain clean CRM and deal documentation (using Salesforce or a comparable CRM, plus internal tools) with disciplined stages and accurate forecasting.
Report weekly on pipeline health, conversion, close probability, blockers, and help-needed asks.
Improve playbooks, templates, sourcing strategies, and broker programs to increase close rate and reduce cycle time—building a repeatable acquisition engine.
Anticipate and respond to shifting priorities by continuously monitoring key signals and bringing leadership clear options (tradeoffs, impact, timeline) to drive quick decisions and keep deals moving.
Own relationships post-signature by building durable site-host relationships post-launch to protect performance, reduce fallout, and unlock future expansion.