Lead Engineering Technician

About You and The Role

Zipline's next-generation aircraft and supporting hardware must be built, integrated, validated, recovered, and improved while products, processes, and configurations are still evolving. Your team turns engineering intent into safe, traceable hardware that enables validation, production, remanufacturing, and reliable field operations.

You will lead and work alongside Engineering Technicians on the build floor. Your role will be to own build readiness, daily execution priorities, technical blocker resolution, recovery quality, and technician capability so the team can deliver high-quality hardware consistently.

What You'll Do

• Lead hands-on electromechanical builds, integration, validation, troubleshooting, rework, and recovery of aircraft and supporting hardware.
• Directly manage, hire, onboard, schedule, coach, review, and develop a team of Engineering Technicians.
• Set daily priorities and allocate technician capacity across prototype, NPI, validation, production support, remanufacturing, and field-operations work.
• Resolve competing execution needs by coordinating cross-functional tradeoffs and escalating decisions when needed.
• Confirm build readiness by ensuring required hardware, tooling, documentation, materials, and configurations are available before work begins.
• Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Validation, Production, Supply Chain, and Field Operations to remove technical and execution blockers.
•  Maintain safety, craftsmanship, quality, documentation, traceability, and configuration-control standards; use build-floor feedback to improve tooling, methods, work instructions, manufacturability, and recovery processes.

What You'll Bring

• 6+ years building complex electromechanical hardware in UAV, aerospace, robotics, automotive, manufacturing, or a similar hardware environment.
• Experience leading technicians or managing technical teams supporting prototype, NPI, validation, production, or hardware recovery work.
• Strong hands-on troubleshooting across mechanical, electrical, test, and integrated hardware systems.
• Experience building and integrating complex assemblies using wiring, soldering, composites, machining, fixtures, test equipment, and validation tools.
• Ability to interpret mechanical drawings, electrical schematics, BOMs, work instructions, and technical documentation.
• Ability to prioritize competing hardware work, make sound decisions, and remove blockers in an evolving development environment.
• A hands-on build-floor leadership style with high standards for ownership, process discipline, documentation, safety, and quality.

What Else You Need To Know

The starting cash range for this role is $120,00 to $150,000. 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!