Zipline · 4 months ago
Field Service Engineer – Ground Systems, SMI (Structures, Mechanisms & Integration)
South San Francisco, California, USA
Full-time
Onsite
Entry, Mid Level
2+ years expZipline is a company dedicated to providing instant access to vital medical supplies through autonomous aircraft. The Field Service Engineer will be responsible for identifying and eliminating failure modes in global operations, acting as the technical authority for subsystems, and driving improvements in design and operational practices.
DeliveryDronesElectric VehicleHome Health CareLogisticsRoboticsSupply Chain Management
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
Troubleshoot board-level failures in flight computers, camera modules, radios, GNSS, and networking components
Work with electrical design and embedded firmware teams to validate root causes
Use oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and in-field diagnostics to debug flaky or intermittent issues
Analyze log data and telemetry for system-wide signal integrity or timing failures
Drive improvements in EMI resilience, connector reliability, thermal derating, and firmware watchdog handling
Analyze log data and telemetry for system-wide performance and availability metrics
Develop software and dashboards to analyze large datasets including statistics and model vs. actual analysis: Python is a must
Root-cause missions that experience off nominal behaviours: hardware failures, intermittent communications, electromagnetic degradation, charging or thermal efficiency, thermal events
Hands on debug, troubleshooting and root cause analysis of electromechanical hardware issues in the field and in the lab
Champion the corrective-actions for Ground Systems hardware including design changes, process changes, and detection algorithms and in field containment
Understand embedded motor control and interactions with higher-level software, proficiency in Python/MATLAB and C/C++ is a must
Root-cause flights that experience battery or motor hardware issues: hardware failures, intermittent communications, electromagnetic degradation, powertrain efficiency, thermal events, battery capacity, propeller thrust degradation
Develop software to analyze large datasets including statistics and model vs. actual analysis: Python/MATLAB is a must
Develop software for automated log review and notification of off-nominal hardware performance
Champion the corrective-actions for Powertrain hardware including design changes, process changes, and detection algorithms
Troubleshoot and root cause structures and mechanism performance issues in flight: structural hardware failures, mechanism wear, damage, & underperformance, and fatigue/life damage
Develop software and dashboards to track critical flight metrics, analyze large datasets of flight performance, and automated log review and notification. Python is a must
Work with field and maintenance teams to develop rapid and robust maintenance and inspection procedures that evolve with our understanding of the hardware
Drive corrective actions for SMI hardware along with design engineers including design changes, process changes, and checkout and detection processes
Qualification
Required
2–7 years of experience in field engineering, failure analysis, reliability, or hardware validation
Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent experience
Strong fundamentals in embedded systems: electrical, mechanical, or electromechanical
Demonstrated ability to investigate and resolve complex, intermittent field issues
Familiarity with diagnostic tools: multimeters, oscilloscopes, CAN/serial bus analyzers, thermography, mechanical inspection, etc
Deep technical knowledge in at least one of: avionics, industrial/mechatronics systems, power electronics, motors, embedded motor control, batteries, carbon-fiber structures
Strong data fluency; able to analyze large volumes of logs/telemetry using Python, SQL, MATLAB or similar
Excellent written and verbal communication for cross-functional technical reporting
Strong systems mindset with a bias for fast iteration, field experimentation, and permanent fixes
Experience in aerospace, automotive, drones, robotics, or high-reliability industries
Knowledge of FTA, DFMEA, PFMEA
Hands-on experience in design validation testing (HALT, thermal shock, vibration)
Familiarity with remote tooling: OTA updates, remote debug, telemetry systems
Experience working in high-ownership environments and emerging markets
Benefits
Medical, dental and vision insurance
Paid time off
Equity compensation
Overtime pay
Discretionary annual or performance bonuses
Sales incentives
Company
Zipline
Zipline designs, manufactures, and operates drones to deliver vital medical products.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Zipline has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (54)
2024 (39)
2023 (29)
2022 (20)
2021 (16)
2020 (3)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$971MKey Investors
U.S. Department of StateThe Rise FundKatalyst Ventures
2025-11-25Grant· $150M
2023-04-28Series F· $330M
2021-06-30Series E· $250M
Leadership Team
Keller Rinaudo Cliffton
Co-founder & CEO
Keenan Wyrobek
Founder, CTO and Product Architect
Recent News
felicis.com
2025-12-26
Company data provided by crunchbase