Vibrations Test Technician

About Zipline

Do you want to change the world? Zipline is on a mission to transform the way goods move. Our aim is to solve the world’s most urgent and complex access challenges by building, manufacturing and operating the first instant delivery and logistics system that serves all humans equally, wherever they are. From powering Rwanda’s national blood delivery network and Ghana’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution, to providing on-demand home delivery for Walmart, to enabling healthcare providers to bring care directly to U.S. homes, we are transforming the way things move for businesses, governments and consumers.

The technology is complex but the idea is simple: a teleportation service that delivers what you need, when you need it. Through our technology that includes robotics and autonomy, we are decarbonizing delivery, decreasing road congestion, and reducing fossil fuel consumption and air pollution, while providing equitable access to billions of people and building a more resilient global supply chain.

Join Zipline and help us to make good on our promise to build an equitable and more resilient global supply chain for billions of people.

About You and the Role

We are investing in our in-house vibration testing capabilities with a brand new electrodynamic shaker. As a member of the Structures, Mechanisms, and Integration Test Team (SMI) you will be responsible for the bring up of this new capability and addition of any new capabilities we need to solve the problems facing our internal and external customers.

You will partner closely with the design and reliability teams collaborating and providing them with testing support to increase the speed at which they can produce quality designs. Your work will allow us to rapidly iterate on designs to solve some of the toughest problems Zipline faces in the coming years.

We want to hire an inquisitive technician with an understanding and curiosity of how complex systems fail. You will become a resident expert and partner to the vibrations test engineer and are expected to provide input and feedback to the design teams on both the resilience of their designs to vibration and shock loads, as well as advice on how to develop fixturing. This role is primarily located in South San Francisco at our headquarters, but may involve travel to other Northern California test site locations for data collection purposes.

What You’ll Do

• Support the vibration lab, including two electrodynamic shakers (65kN & 75kN), a HALT chamber, and other test systems.



• Execute test plans and develop fixtures for dynamic testing.



• Own and maintain the shaker training and maintenance program.



• Train Test Technicians and Engineers on running and monitoring tests.



• Improve lab infrastructure to enable rapid investigation of vibration issues



• Perform first-pass data analysis and provide design recommendations.



• Validate lab tests by comparing results with real flight data.



• Instrument test assets and collect periodic data.



• Ensure all equipment calibrations remain current.



• Partner with Test Technicians and Engineers across diverse test campaigns, including on-site support at flight test locations.

What You’ll Bring

• Hands-on experience in a machine shop, with proficiency in operating common mechanical equipment.


• Familiarity with instrumentation, vibration controllers, and data acquisition (preferred but not required).


• Ability to translate real-world, imperfect data into actionable test and design insights.


• Strong communication skills with a track record of building effective cross-team relationships.


• Motivation to apply your skills daily in pursuit of Zipline’s mission: providing every human on Earth with instant access to the products they need.

• Flexibility to support rotating schedules, shared coverage, and shifting priorities as lab and test demands evolve.

What Else You Need To Know

The starting cash range for this role is $80,000 - $100,000 or $38.46 - $48.08/hr (+ overtime eligibility). Please note that this is a target, starting cash range for a candidate who meets the minimum qualifications for this role. 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; overtime pay; 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, ancestry, national origin, religion or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, or other characteristics protected by state, federal or local law or our other policies.

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!