System Test Automation Intern (Fall 2026)

Zipline • South San Francisco, CA

3d • 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 worldwide. The company emphasizes practical problem-solving, real-world challenges, and rapid growth, with a team motivated by building systems that have a direct, meaningful impact. The System Validation Team ensures the performance, reliability, and safety of Zipline’s integrated system (Zip, Droid, Dock) through Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing and automated pipelines. They specialize in validating complex hardware and software interactions before real-world deployment and own the automation of flight testing to catch issues before commercial flights.

As a System Validation Intern, you will contribute to testing and validating Zipline’s complete system of systems. You will help build and refine automated testing pipelines, ensuring software meets rigorous quality standards. Working with an experienced team, you will gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge tools and technologies while solving meaningful challenges. Your work will be essential in ensuring the reliability of systems that deliver life-saving goods worldwide, offering a unique opportunity to learn, grow, and make an impact in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

Requirements

• Must have completed the second year of undergraduate studies. Master's and PhD students are also eligible.
• Strong understanding of engineering design fundamentals and the ability to triage and identify root causes of technical issues.
• Experience writing Rust or Python scripts to automate tasks or tests, either through coursework or personal projects.
• Hands-on experience writing Python tests using tools like Pytest or Unittest.
• Familiarity with creating and executing test plans or validation plans for software or hardware systems.
• A hands-on approach to problem-solving, including debugging and triaging technical issues.
• General understanding of electrical systems such as motors, sensors, cameras, and onboard computers.
• Experience working in a Linux environment, including using command-line tools effectively.
• Familiarity with tools like Git for version control, bazel for build and test management and Jira for task tracking.
• Basic understanding of networking concepts such as RPC or sockets.
• Experience working with CI tools like GitHub Actions, Buildkite, or similar.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills to document test results and track issues effectively.

Responsibilities

• Assist in executing Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) tests and flight tests to validate the interaction between Zipline’s Zip, Droid, and Dock systems.
• Collaborate with engineers from different teams to build and refine automated pipelines that test software before it is deployed in flight.
• Design and improve tools that stress-test the system in off-nominal cases.
• Analyze and troubleshoot hardware and software issues uncovered during testing, contributing to system improvements.
• Work alongside a multidisciplinary team to design and execute system-level validation plans.
• Develop and enhance scripts and tools to support automated testing workflows.
• Learn how to ensure reliability and quality in complex, safety-critical systems, gaining valuable insights into real-world engineering challenges.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: Associate degree