Applications Engineer Intern

Who you are

• You must have completed the second year of your undergraduate studies, pursuing a degree in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering or a related field. Masters and PhD students are also eligible
• Proficiency in troubleshooting hardware and software systems, data collection and analysis, and collaborating with stakeholders to address engineering challenges
• Experience in reading data sheets, layouts, or schematics
• Possessing CAD skills (Siemens NX, Solidworks, etc.) and any machine shop/prototyping experience is a plus
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to simplify complex technical information into clear, repeatable technical instructions
• Demonstrated strong project management skills, including creating timelines, leading meetings, and providing cross-functional updates
• Willingness to travel and work outdoors at test sites for hands-on development and testing
• A problem-solving approach with a drive for continuous improvement in a dynamic, collaborative setting
• Technical curiosity and a passion for user-centric design
• Self-directed with the ability to independently manage tasks
• Eager to learn and grow through building strong relationships with operations and engineering teams

What the job involves

• The Deployment and Construction team is responsible for turning bare ground into functional drone charging sites!
• We’re a broad cross-functional team with skills across civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and construction engineering with mandate to deliver world-class construction execution with zero issues in the first 30 days, on-time and on-budget, using scalable, cost-optimized, and serviceable designs
• Do you want to directly influence a wide range of engineering challenges arising from real-world, fast-paced operations?
• As an Applications Engineer Intern, you are the technical specialist responsible for solving application-specific challenges related to the deployment of our infrastructure in diverse environments
• You take a rigorous systems-based approach to problem-solving. Your primary mission is to identify, validate, and integrate off-the-shelf (OTS) systems and commercially available products that meet our rigorous ground infrastructure requirements
• Whether you are architecting a remote monitoring camera network, integrating weather sensing arrays, or designing specialized lifting and service apparatus, you ensure that Zipline’s hardware functions flawlessly in every unique application
• Contribute to the development, testing, and deployment of system improvements for the Platform 2 system supporting ground systems, commercial operations, and new deployments
• Develop and implement technical solutions for specialized application needs, including lifting apparatus for maintenance or weather stations for localized flight safety
• Evaluate, select, and manage relationships with external vendors to source high-availability, low-cost commercially available products that fulfill critical system requirements
• Work with the engineering and deployments organization to refine site requirements and transform them into deployable systems that fulfill first-principles needs
• Define the necessary handover materials and processes to move new application solutions into a sustaining operations trajectory
• This internship is a full-time position, in-person at our South San Francisco office. We will host our Summer 2027 interns from (May/June - August/September)