Field Service Engineer - SMI (Structures, Mechanisms & Integration)

Job Description

Job Description

About Zipline

Zipline's mission is to provide every human on Earth with instant access to vital medical supplies. We believe that where you live should never dictate whether you live. We are at the forefront of a logistics revolution, using autonomous aircraft to deliver just-in-time, life-saving medical supplies at national scale in several countries and expanding around the world. Are you interested in building a system that 500 million people will depend on with their lives?

About the Role

Field Service Engineers at Zipline are the tip of the spear in identifying and eliminating failure modes across our global operations. You will be the technical authority for your subsystem (Avionics, Ground Systems, Powertrain, or SMI), working across hardware and software boundaries to drive improvements into design, manufacturing, and operational practices.

You'll combine hands-on troubleshooting, deep systems knowledge, and cross-functional communication to debug and resolve failures. Whether it's a GPS dropout, a motor burnout, a power spike, or a hinge crack, you'll be responsible for finding it, understanding it, and working with engineering to fix it permanently.

This is a high-trust, high-autonomy role for engineers who want to own the health and performance of our hardware in the real world.

What You'll Do Core Responsibilities

• Own the implementation of design and processes improvements that address field reliability, reduce downtime, and support long-term economic goals
• Investigate field failures by combining data analysis, log review, and physical failure analysis
• Perform root cause analysis using first principles, 5-Whys, and fault tree methods
• Create and lead containment actions, corrective actions, and permanent design / process fixes
• Provide technical leadership during field escalations, with hands-on support as needed
• Build tooling and diagnostics to proactively monitor health of fleet systems
• Influence DFM, DFT, and maintainability for next-generation designs
• Act as the technical bridge between Ops, Engineering, and Manufacturing

SMI

What You'll Bring

Why Join Zipline?

As a Field Service Engineer at Zipline, you won't be sitting on the sidelines. You'll be embedded where it matters, with real accountability for real-world outcomes. This is a chance to make global impact, influence design at scale, and improve the lives of millions through hardware that works every time.

If you're excited by owning tough problems end-to-end—and not just closing tickets—you belong here.

What else you need to know

This role is an in-person role, based out of our South San Francisco HQ. Must be eligible to work in the US and travel globally as needed. The final cash pay for this role will depend on a variety of factors, including a specific candidate's experience, qualifications, skills, working location, and projected impact. The total compensation package for this role may also include : equity compensation; overtime pay; discretionary annual or performance bonuses; sales incentives; benefits such as medical, dental and vision insurance; paid time off; and more.

Zipline is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws or our own sensibilities.

We value diversity at Zipline and welcome applications from those who are traditionally underrepresented in tech. If you like the sound of this position but are not sure if you are the perfect fit, please apply!