Staff - Sr. Staff Mechanical Engineer - Cameras

Job Description

Job Description

About Zipline

Zipline is the world's largest and most experienced drone delivery service. We are on a mission to serve all humans equally by ensuring access to food, medicine and essential goods anytime, anywhere. We design, build, and operate the world's largest autonomous logistics system, delivering critical supplies quickly and reliably. Today, Zipline operates on four continents, makes a delivery somewhere in the world every 30 seconds, and has completed millions of deliveries to date, including blood, vaccines, medical supplies, food, and retail products.

Our customers include the world's largest and most prominent healthcare systems, governments, retailers, restaurants and global businesses who rely on us to save lives, reduce emissions, increase economic opportunity, and provide delivery from point A to point B as fast as possible. The drone is only 15% of what we've built to enable seamless, reliable, global operations.

Our system strengthens supply chains, reduces congestion, and gives people time back. With more than 140 million commercial autonomous miles safely flown, Zipline is redefining access to healthcare, consumer products, and food across the globe.

We operate at a global scale and are looking for practical problem solvers who thrive on real-world challenges and rapid growth. Our team is motivated by building systems that have a direct, meaningful impact on people's lives and by scaling the future of logistics. We are seeking people who sculpt from first principles, enjoy facing adversity, and can do the impossible at record breaking speeds.

About the Role We are seeking a Staff to Sr. Staff Mechanical Engineer to lead end-to-end mechanical development for camera modules, camera brackets/mounts, and camera clearing for drone/UAV applications. In this role, you will own mechanical architecture from concept through production, ensuring robust performance across vibration, shock, thermal, environmental exposure, and flight operations. You will partner closely with electrical, optical, firmware, manufacturing, and flight-test teams to deliver a camera hardware system that meets strict weight, stiffness, alignment, reliability, and perception targets.

• Own the complete mechanical development lifecycle for Zipline's camera hardware system: defining requirements, concept design, CAD, analysis, prototyping, DFMEA, DVP&R, DFM/DFA, release, and production support.
• Translate optical & perception system requirements into mechanical specifications that then shape the final design
• Lead trade studies, balancing cross functional inputs to optimize for the full camera system which includes:
• Module
• Module Clearing
• Module Integration
• Module Interconnects
• Perform or guide FEA/CFD (static, modal, thermal) and correlate models to test data.
• Lead root-cause investigations for mechanical failures and implement corrective actions.
• Shape the architecture of Zipline's next generation camera system products making impactful design decisions daily, while working with a high level of independence.
• Partner with suppliers/CMs to refine designs for cost, yield and assembly efficiency
• Travel occasionally to support supplier and manufacturer visit, product deployment, and field validation

• Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical/Opto-Mechanical Engineering or related discipline
• 7+ years of hands-on experience designing and delivering camera hardware (Module & Clearing Systems)
• Strong understanding of optical & perception related specifications
• Deep knowledge of a-thermalization & design methods to optimize for mass
• Design experience with Die Cast, Thixomolding, MIM, Injection Molding, CNC Machining
• Proficiency in Solid Mechanics, Thermals, CFD
• Familiarity with optical coatings; hydrophobic, hydrophilic, oleophobic, UV, HC, AR, AF
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills across engineering disciplines

Must be eligible to work in the U.S.

• Full life cycle ownership experience for mechanical thermal solutions
• Experience designing and testing single cell failure and propagation mitigation strategies
• Experience with high-volume final assembly and test (thousands to millions units per year)
• Experience designing safety-critical aerospace or automotive products
• Familiarity with rigid and flexible PCB manufacturing: you may not know how to do the layout, but you know how it all mechanically comes together
• NX is your primary CAD tool

The starting cash range for this role is $205,000 - $250,000. Please note that this is a target, starting cash range for a candidate who meets the minimum qualifications for this role. 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; 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, ancestry, national origin, religion or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, or other characteristics protected by state, federal or local law or our other policies.

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!