Flight Test Electrical Lead

Zipline · Esparto, California · Posted 2026-09-22

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.

About You and The Role ---------------------------

Zipline is seeking a highly skilled, hands-on Flight Test Electrical Lead to own the electrical systems and electrical project portfolio across our U.S. test sites.

This is a working lead position—not a desk-based project-management role. You should expect to personally perform approximately 80–90% of the electrical installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair work associated with these projects. You will also lead the planning, organization, prioritization, and execution of electrical work across multiple facilities.

You will take end-to-end ownership of each test site’s electrical systems—from evaluating needs and developing project plans through procurement, installation, commissioning, documentation, and long-term maintenance. For larger or specialized projects, you will coordinate with outside electrical contractors and ensure their work meets Zipline’s safety, quality, schedule, and operational requirements.

You will work closely with Zipline’s electrical designers, engineers, site leaders, facilities partners, and safety teams. These partners will help support technical plans and decisions, but you will remain responsible for driving the work forward and ensuring that safe, reliable electrical infrastructure is delivered.

This role requires regular travel between Zipline test facilities located throughout the United States. Travel frequency will vary depending on project needs.

What You'll Do ------------------

Electrical Project Execution

Personally perform the majority of electrical installations, modifications, repairs, maintenance, and troubleshooting across Zipline’s test sites.
Install and maintain electrical infrastructure supporting test operations, facilities, equipment, temporary structures, and new site development.
Diagnose electrical problems, identify root causes, and implement safe, durable repairs.
Lead electrical projects from initial site assessment through planning, installation, testing, commissioning, and closeout.
Ensure work is completed safely, efficiently, and to a high standard of quality.
Balance permanent solutions with temporary or rapidly deployable systems appropriate for a fast-moving test environment.

Planning and Prioritization

Build clear project scopes, execution plans, material lists, cost estimates, and schedules.
Identify tools, materials, equipment, permits, and external support required before work begins.
Prioritize electrical work across multiple test facilities based on safety, operational impact, urgency, available resources, and company objectives.
Proactively identify electrical risks, capacity constraints, aging infrastructure, and future facility needs.
Maintain visibility into active projects, upcoming work, dependencies, risks, and completion timelines.
Ensure projects are properly prepared so work can be executed efficiently once on site.

Site Ownership

Take ownership of the condition, reliability, safety, and maintainability of electrical systems across all Flight Test sites.
Develop a strong understanding of each facility’s electrical infrastructure, operational requirements, and known risks.
Establish preventive-maintenance and inspection practices appropriate for each site.
Maintain accurate drawings, panel schedules, equipment records, project documentation, and service histories.
Create clear standards and repeatable approaches for electrical installations across the test-site network.
Follow issues through resolution rather than treating individual repairs or installations as isolated tasks.

Contractor and Cross-Functional Coordination

Determine when work should be completed internally and when outside electrical contractors are required.
Define scopes of work, support contractor selection, coordinate site access, and oversee contractor execution.
Hold contractors accountable for safety, quality, schedule, documentation, and code compliance.
Review contractor proposals and completed work for technical completeness and operational suitability.
Partner with electrical engineers and designers to review plans, resolve technical questions, and make practical field decisions.
Coordinate closely with site leaders to minimize operational disruption and ensure facilities are ready to support testing.
Communicate project status, risks, tradeoffs, and resource needs clearly to technical and operational stakeholders.

Safety and Compliance

Perform and oversee electrical work in accordance with applicable codes, regulations, permits, company standards, and safe-work practices.
Serve as a subject-matter expert for electrical safety across Flight Test facilities.
Identify unsafe conditions and take prompt action to mitigate risk.
Support permitting, inspection, lockout/tagout, energized-work controls, and other required electrical safety processes.
Ensure installations are properly inspected, labeled, documented, and commissioned before being placed into service.
Exercise sound judgment regarding when work can be completed internally and when engineering, contractor, utility, or authority-having-jurisdiction involvement is required.

What You'll Bring ---------------------

Required Qualifications

Active California C-10 Electrical Contractor license in good standing.
Current California electrician certification/license applicable to the work being performed.
Significant hands-on experience performing commercial or industrial electrical installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
Demonstrated experience independently planning and executing electrical projects from scope development through completion.
Strong working knowledge of the National Electrical Code and applicable electrical safety requirements.
Experience reading, interpreting, and working from electrical drawings, one-line diagrams, specifications, and panel schedules.
Ability to estimate labor, materials, equipment, cost, and schedule requirements.
Experience coordinating and overseeing outside electrical contractors.
Strong troubleshooting skills and the ability to make sound decisions in dynamic field environments.
A high degree of ownership, organization, follow-through, and attention to detail.
Ability to clearly communicate plans, risks, priorities, and technical issues to both technical and nontechnical partners.
Ability and willingness to travel regularly between facilities located across the United States.
Valid driver’s license and the ability to safely operate company vehicles as required.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience supporting test facilities, aviation operations, manufacturing, research and development, or other high-tempo technical environments.
Experience with new-site construction, temporary power, service upgrades, power distribution, backup power, lighting, controls, and equipment installations.
Experience working at geographically dispersed or remote facilities.
Experience developing preventive-maintenance programs and electrical-system documentation.
Experience coordinating with utilities, inspectors, permitting authorities, engineers, and general contractors.
Familiarity with low-voltage systems, generators, energy storage, renewable-energy systems, or electric-vehicle infrastructure.

What Success Looks Like

Electrical projects are properly scoped, prepared, prioritized, and completed safely.
The majority of electrical work is executed directly and efficiently without unnecessary contractor dependence.
Materials, tools, permits, and supporting resources are ready before work begins.
Site leaders have clear visibility into project status, risks, and timelines.
Contractors receive well-defined scopes and deliver work that meets Zipline’s expectations.
Electrical systems across all test sites are safe, reliable, documented, and capable of supporting current and future test operations.
Potential problems are identified and addressed before they disrupt testing or create safety risks.
Every project has a clear owner and is followed through to complete, documented closeout.

Physical and Travel Requirements

Ability to perform hands-on electrical work in indoor and outdoor environments.
Ability to work from ladders, lifts, rooftops, and other elevated work areas when properly trained and equipped.
Ability to lift, carry, position, and operate tools, materials, and electrical equipment.
Ability to work at remote test sites and in varying weather and environmental conditions.
Willingness to travel frequently and, when project needs require it, remain at a test facility for multiple consecutive days.

**What Else You Need To Know ** ---------------------------------

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!

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Zipline ’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

About Zipline

Zipline designs, manufactures, and operates drones to deliver vital medical products.

Flight Test Electrical Lead

About Zipline

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About Zipline

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