Head of Security

Role based in South San Francisco, California, USA

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. Using 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

As the Head of Security at Zipline, you will define and lead our company-wide cybersecurity strategy across application software, product development,  corporate systems, and drone software security. You’ll work closely with our engineering, product, legal, and operations teams to ensure our systems are resilient against evolving threats while continuing to enable our pace of innovation. You will own the security roadmap and lead a small team of security-focused engineers to strengthen our capabilities and ensure the integrity of our applications and infrastructure. 

This role will own Zipline’s cybersecurity program end-to-end—from governance and compliance to cloud and endpoint security, threat detection, and incident response. You’ll be the key voice on cybersecurity for our leadership team and a strategic advisor to teams building the future of logistics. This is a unique opportunity to help secure a category-defining product that operates at the intersection of aerospace, autonomy, and logistics.

What You'll Do

• Define and drive Zipline’s cybersecurity strategy across the company, including risk management, governance, compliance, and incident response.
  
  
• Lead a team of security engineers and work with engineers across all teams to build secure, scalable systems and processes.
  
  
• Partner with Engineering, IT, and Legal to ensure secure development, infrastructure, and operations.
  
  
• Establish and maintain Zipline’s security roadmap, aligning technical and business priorities.
  
  
• Own and lead compliance efforts such as SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, and other relevant regulatory and customer-driven frameworks.
  
  
• Design and oversee robust detection and response strategies, including vulnerability management, endpoint protection, and incident playbooks.
  
  
• Act as a strategic partner in the secure design of Zipline’s drone software and operational platforms—especially against reverse engineering, with strong defensive strategies.
  
  
• Build and lead executive-level communications on security posture, emerging threats, and strategic initiatives.
  
  
• Cultivate a security-first culture across teams through education, awareness, and clear guidance. 
  
  

What You'll Bring

• 12+ years of hands-on experience in cybersecurity, with 5+ years building and leading lean, high-impact security teams in fast-paced, startup environments.
  
  
• Proven ability to define security vision and execute it—from 0 to 1 and beyond—balancing urgency with long-term strategy.
  
  
• Success driving security initiatives in engineering-led cultures, partnering closely with product and infrastructure teams.
  
  
• Deep understanding of security frameworks (SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST CSF) and how to apply them pragmatically in high-growth environments.
  
  
• Strong background in cloud security (AWS/GCP), IAM, endpoint protection, and application security—plus the judgment to prioritize what’s most important.
  
  
• Experience securing complex, high-risk systems such as edge devices, embedded systems, or connected hardware (e.g., drones, robotics, aerospace, IoT).
  
  
• Executive presence and communication skills to influence leadership and align teams around a security roadmap.
  
  
• Ability to identify top security risks and implement incremental improvements while enabling a fast pace of innovation.

Why This Role is Exciting

You’ll be shaping the future of cybersecurity at one of the most innovative companies in autonomous delivery. Zipline’s consumer-facing business is scaling rapidly, with this year and next marking critical global growth. You won’t just be securing a network—you’ll be protecting fleets of autonomous aircraft and the software that powers a revolutionary end-to-end logistics and consumer experience. If you’re excited to build secure systems that support global scale and deliver real-world impact, we’d love to hear from you.

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW 

The starting cash range for this role is $225,000 - $275,000. 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; 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!