Zipline · 2 months ago
Production Operations Lead – Platform 1 (P1)
South San Francisco, California, USA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
7+ years expZipline is on a mission to transform the way goods move, aiming to solve urgent access challenges through innovative logistics solutions. The Production Operations Lead for Platform 1 will oversee production execution and team leadership, ensuring operational excellence in aircraft manufacturing while driving continuous improvement.
DeliveryDronesElectric VehicleHome Health CareLogisticsRoboticsSupply Chain Management
Responsibilities
Lead daily production operations for the Platform 1 aircraft, ensuring safety, quality, and delivery targets are met or exceeded
Manage and develop a team of production leads, and technicians across multiple workstations and shifts
Partner with Manufacturing Engineering and Quality to ensure process adherence, troubleshoot issues, and implement robust corrective actions
Oversee capacity planning, resource allocation, and scheduling to balance demand, efficiency, and team workload
Drive operational discipline through standard work, 5S, and Lean manufacturing principles
Collaborate with design and engineering teams to support new product introductions, line transfers, and process updates for the P1 platform
Track and report key metrics (yield, labor efficiency, first-pass quality, downtime, on-time delivery) to identify trends and improvement opportunities
Implement continuous improvement initiatives focused on increasing throughput, improving ergonomics, and reducing production cost
Maintain a strong safety culture through proactive hazard identification, training, and accountability
Serve as the P1 production representative in cross-functional meetings and leadership reviews—bringing clarity, data, and insight into operational performance
Qualification
Required
7+ years of experience in manufacturing or production operations, with 3+ years in a leadership role
Demonstrated success managing complex electro-mechanical assembly lines from prototype through full-rate production
Strong understanding of lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, and root cause analysis methodologies
Experience collaborating with engineering, supply chain, and quality teams to resolve technical and operational challenges
Proven track record of scaling production systems while improving efficiency, quality, and safety
Strong leadership and communication skills—able to motivate teams, drive alignment, and present clear data-driven insights
Experience with manufacturing systems (MES, ERP, MRP) for production scheduling and traceability
Ability to interpret technical documentation, assembly drawings, and test data
Comfortable managing change in a fast-paced, evolving production environment
Preferred
Previous experience with Zipline's Platform 1 or comparable automotive, aerospace, or robotics manufacturing systems
Experience with mixed-model production and rapid line changeovers
Familiarity with MES transitions or custom MES development
Background in safety-critical assembly processes (aviation, defense, or medical devices)
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