Senior Manufacturing Engineer

Back to jobs Senior Manufacturing Engineer South San Francisco, California, USA Apply About You and The Role Does working on large, integrated electro-mechanical systems—from small-scale engineering builds to full-scale production and global deployment—excite you? Do you feel driven to dive in when others say something is too difficult or impossible? Are you the "go-to" engineer when it comes to figuring out how to build and scale something that's never been done before? At Zipline, our work is built for the real world. Families and patients rely on us every day—there's no room for falling short or aiming low. If you're passionate about using your engineering talent to create elegant, effective manufacturing solutions, read on. We're looking for a highly experienced and dynamic Senior Manufacturing Engineer to join our team. In this role, you'll be responsible for designing and scaling multiple in-house final assembly lines for our aircraft, zips, docks, and several critical feeder sub-assemblies. You'll ensure these lines can meet growing demand—from tens of units per week to hundreds over the next three years—while continuously driving down cost and elevating product quality. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment, enjoy managing multiple new developments at once, and can quickly align teams and drive toward solutions, we'd love to hear from you.

What You'll Do:

As a Senior Manufacturing Engineer, you will play a critical role in scaling our in-house manufacturing capabilities while developing new processes to support design changes and new internal builds. You'll apply your technical expertise to deeply understand fundamental design requirements and ensure they are consistently met in production. This role is highly cross-functional—you'll collaborate with design engineers, supplier industrial engineers, operations program managers, quality engineers, maintenance teams, and manufacturing technicians. As the ultimate owner of your manufacturing lines, you'll be responsible for developing and validating in-house processes, designing and modifying line layouts, and overseeing fixture and equipment design and fabrication. Your first major project will involve building a new manufacturing line—including processes and equipment—to bring in-house a complex electro-mechanical sub-assembly that feeds into our top-level assemblies. You're a seasoned manufacturing engineer with a track record of developing manufacturing lines from prototype and early engineering builds through to full-scale (potentially highly automated) production. You're adept at identifying failure modes that could disrupt high-volume operations, and you proactively design solutions to detect or prevent issues before they arise. With a strong understanding of manufacturing constraints and capabilities, you offer design suggestions that are both efficient to produce and straightforward to inspect. You approach process improvement with an unbiased mindset, distinguishing between critical fixes and nice-to-haves. You raise design and process concerns with humility and foster a collaborative environment where ideas are openly shared. As a trusted technical mentor, you provide guidance and share best practices with junior team members, reviewing their work and supporting their growth. What You'll Do Develop and optimize manufacturing processes and documentation for complex electro-mechanical assemblies, from prototype builds to full-scale production. Lead planning, budgeting, design, procurement, & commissioning of Assembly Lines and associated facilities & equipment at Zipline for Product Builds Lead process validation and verification activities, including PFMEAs, capability studies, first article inspections, and pilot builds. Collaborate closely with design engineers to drive design-for-manufacturability (DFM), ensuring product designs are optimized for reliable and cost-effective assembly. Own tooling and fixture development, from concept through fabrication, installation, and validation, to support scalable and repeatable manufacturing. Identify and implement continuous improvement initiatives to improve quality, reduce cycle time, and lower production costs (e.g., lean manufacturing, automation, poka-yoke). Troubleshoot and resolve production issues, working cross-functionally with quality, design, and maintenance teams to implement corrective and preventive actions. Support ramp-up of new products and manufacturing lines, coordinating cross-functional activities to ensure smooth transitions from development to production. Track and analyze manufacturing performance metrics, including first-pass yield, throughput, downtime, and cost of poor quality, to drive data-informed decisions. Provide technical mentorship to junior manufacturing engineers and technicians, sharing best practices and reviewing designs and process approaches. What You'll Bring 7+ years of experience designing and developing manufacturing lines - proven track record of scaling something from the 10s of products per month to the 1000s of products per month. Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering field or a related field. Design for Manufacturability (DFM/DFA): Strong understanding of how to influence product design for cost-effective, scalable, and reliable assembly. Hands-on experience working with products that combine mechanical systems, electronics, and software integration.

Fixture and tooling design:

Experience designing and validating custom fixtures, jigs, and tools to support repeatable, ergonomic, and efficient processes.

Manufacturing process validation:

Deep knowledge of PFMEA, control plans, process capability (Cp/Cpk), and statistical process control (SPC). Proficiency in 3D CAD Software (Siemens NX preferred) Proficient in writing SOPs, work instructions, and process flow documents. Familiar with statistical tools (e.g., Minitab, JMP, Excel) for analyzing yield, process capability, and production trends.

MES/ERP systems:

Experience with manufacturing execution systems and resource planning software to manage production data and operations. Skilled at identifying root causes and rapidly implementing sustainable corrective actions in a fast-paced environment. Proven ability to work with design, quality, supply chain, and operations teams to deliver manufacturing outcomes. Comfortable guiding and reviewing work of junior engineers and technicians. Strong written and verbal communication skills for documenting processes, presenting data, and aligning teams. Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects with minimal oversight—from planning through execution and sustainment. Worked in a super fast-paced environment that is in a constant state of evolution. What Else You Need to Know The starting cash range for this role is Salary range: $125,000 - $170,000.00. 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. 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! If you'd like to learn more about Zipline and our teams, feel free to check out our Instagram, one of our Reddit AMA's, or our website! Apply for this job

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