Structural Engineer

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.

Zipline deploys ground systems that enable autonomous delivery. You will own structural engineering for charging towers, zipping point dropboxes, foundations, and related site structures, making them safe, permitted, constructible, and ready to operate across varied locations.You will turn reusable structural standards and site-specific adaptations into deployment packages. Working with mechanical, electrical, civil, construction, deployment, and external partners, you will make the technical decisions that move designs through release, permitting, and implementation while protecting safety and improving deployment quality, approval readiness, cost, and scalability.

• Own structural analysis and design for charging towers, zipping points, foundations, and related ground-system structures.
• Produce and technically release structural calculations, drawings, and documentation for code-compliant, constructible site deployments.
• Develop reusable structural standards and adapt them for site conditions and non-standard configurations.
• Lead structural input for permitting and regulatory reviews with AHJs, cities, inspectors, customers, and external partners.
• Partner with civil, mechanical, electrical, construction, and deployment teams on layouts, installation approaches, constructability, and operational risks.
• Evaluate preconstruction, construction, and sustaining risks; drive practical design or process changes that improve permit-ready quality, installation quality, standardized-design reuse, and cost-conscious deployment.

• Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in Structural Engineering.
• 5–8+ years of structural design experience, including steel and/or concrete design.
• Working knowledge of IBC, ASCE 7, AISC, and related structural codes and standards.
• Experience supporting permitting, approvals, and coordination with authorities having jurisdiction.
• Ability to solve first-of-kind structural problems and communicate clear technical decisions across engineering, business, and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work from Zipline's South San Francisco headquarters and travel intermittently to project sites in the US and internationally.

The starting cash range for this role is $145,000 – $225,000. 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, 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!