Supply Chain Business Operations Manager, AI Strategy

Zipline•South San Francisco, CA

3d•$147,800 - $285,200•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 millions of deliveries globally. The company is seeking practical problem solvers motivated by building systems with a meaningful impact and scaling the future of logistics. This role focuses on leveraging AI to enhance Zipline’s supply chain operations, enabling faster and better decision-making through AI-enabled workflows. The position is based in South San Francisco and requires 5-15% travel.

Requirements

Experience driving operational improvement through data, systems, automation, AI tools, or technical program leadership in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
Fluent in SQL and comfortable with Python or similar scripting tools; ability to work directly with messy operational data and turn it into usable products, workflows, or decision systems.
Hands-on experience using AI tools, LLMs, copilots, agents, workflow automation platforms, or data products to improve business processes.
Ability to identify where AI will genuinely improve a workflow, what data, controls, adoption plan, and operating process are required for it to work reliably.
Strong instinct for spotting poor AI output before it reaches users and a commitment to avoiding unreliable tools.
Strong ability to translate ambiguous business needs into clear requirements, prototypes, roadmaps, and measurable implementation plans.
Hands-on experience with supply chain, ERP, MRP, supplier management, manufacturing, or planning data models and ability to connect technical system behavior to operational outcomes.
Thrive in ambiguous, high-stakes environments requiring strategic judgment, hands-on building, and strong cross-functional adoption leadership.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in Supply Chain, Business Analytics, Data Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or related field, with experience applying AI, automation, or data products in high-tech, aerospace, robotics, or scaling manufacturing environments.
Experience building or deploying AI agents, internal copilots, workflow automation, RAG-based tools, or LLM-enabled business applications with measurable operational impact.
Familiarity with AI governance, model evaluation, human-in-the-loop workflows, data privacy, enterprise security, or reliability requirements in high-stakes operating environments.
Proficiency with advanced Excel, ERP engines, data orchestration platforms, supplier collaboration tools, APIs, or low-code/no-code automation platforms.
Strong product and change-management instincts, with a history of influencing without authority and driving adoption of new tools across operational teams.

Responsibilities

Lead AI enablement across Zipline’s supply chain function, transforming operational pain points into practical AI-assisted tools and automations.
Collaborate with Engineering, Data, IT, Strategic Sourcing, Supplier Industrialization, Material Planning, Manufacturing Operations, Finance, and executive leadership to scale AI-enabled operating workflows.
Identify, prioritize, and own high-impact AI enablement opportunities across Supply Chain, including supplier collaboration, material planning, inventory health, sourcing workflows, production readiness, and executive operating rhythms.
Design and deploy AI-assisted workflows, copilots, agents, automations, and decision-support tools to reduce manual work and improve decision quality.
Partner with various departments and external vendors to translate operational pain points into AI-enabled product requirements, prototypes, adoption plans, and measurable business outcomes.
Build data foundations, process maps, and feedback loops for reliable AI workflows, including data quality checks, source-of-truth alignment, human-in-the-loop review, and clear ownership models.
Use SQL, Python, BI tools, and AI/LLM platforms to prototype and operationalize tools that synthesize various data sources into actionable recommendations.
Lead change management for AI-enabled ways of working, including training users, documenting workflows, measuring adoption, gathering feedback, and iterating quickly.
Establish practical governance for AI use in supply chain operations, balancing speed with accuracy, security, auditability, and human oversight.