Process Engineer

About You & the Role

As a Process Engineer, you will turn complex electro-mechanical products into safe, reliable, repeatable production lines for Zipline’s aircraft, docks, and logistics hardware. You will own assigned final assembly and feeder sub-assembly lines from process definition and tooling through validation, production release, and sustainment.

This work connects aerospace-quality manufacturing with reliable field operations and rapid production growth. You will help scale output from tens to thousands of units per week over the next 1–3 years while meeting safety and reliability expectations. Your initial priority is to bring a complex electro-mechanical sub-assembly in-house and validate its production line within months.

This role is based at Zipline’s South San Francisco manufacturing facility, and requires regular on-site presence. Rare travel between sites may be required during ramp and sustainment. Nights or weekends may be needed to support critical production ramps or outages.

What You’ll Do

• Own assigned assembly lines and feeder subassemblies from process definition, tooling, and pilot builds through validation, release, and sustainment.
• Design, procure, install, and commission fixtures, gauges, tooling, workstations, and ergonomic operator flows.
• Define and validate assembly sequences, PFMEAs, control plans, SPC, capability studies, first-article processes, and release criteria.
• Improve first-pass yield, throughput, takt time, equipment reliability, downtime, and cost of poor quality against agreed targets.
• Lead design-for-manufacturing decisions that balance assembly time, inspection, cost, safety, and field reliability.
• Investigate production issues and escapes, validate root causes, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Create SOPs, work instructions, and training materials; train and qualify technicians and line leads.
• Coordinate capacity, layouts, equipment, and readiness with Design Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Maintenance, and Operations; deliver a validated pilot line and stabilize production.

What You’ll Bring

• 7+ years of hands-on manufacturing engineering experience with complex electromechanical assembly lines, including experience scaling volume by an order of magnitude.
• A BS in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• Practical mastery of PFMEA, control plans, SPC, Cp/Cpk, first-article processes, and production validation.
• Experience designing and validating fixtures, jigs, and tooling using 3D CAD; Siemens NX is preferred.
• Experience using MES/ERP and tools such as Minitab, JMP, or Excel to improve yield and process capability.
• End-to-end project ownership, including planning, budgeting, procurement, commissioning, and sustainment with minimal oversight.
• Sound DFM judgment, clear communication, attention to detail, and accountability for safe production and measurable results.

What Else You Need to Know

The starting cash range for this role is $104,000 - $180,000. Please note that this is a target, starting cash range for a candidate who meets the minimum qualifications for this role. We are always open to negotiation.

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.