Technical Program Manager - Ground Systems

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  

The Ground Systems team is a multi-disciplinary hardware and software team responsible for designing the infrastructure for aircraft charging and package loading at the heart of our life-saving autonomous drone delivery service, operating in some of the harshest environments on earth. 

As the Technical Program Manager for the Ground Systems team, you will be the focal point for coordinating resources across the engineering teams, strategic vendor relationships, and internal production and quality teams. You will be responsible for the path taken to resolve technical and schedule risks, and work within the team and across engineering to align priorities, coordinate timelines, and problem-solve. 

For those that are deeply excited about leading with influence and representing a global mission, this is an incredible opportunity to leverage your skills.

What You'll Do  

• Manage hardware and software roadmaps across programs: balance, drive, and align key features while surfacing gaps and mitigating risks to projects
• Problem-solve relationships and internal process blockages to drive outcomes
• Understand the technical risks spanning electrical, mechanical, embedded software, and production, including the benefits and risks of different manufacturing processes 
• Measure and improve development velocity: own engineering timelines, unblock teams, cross-check plans, and streamline cross-functional dependencies
• Engage across the development lifecycle: from architecture reviews, through validation, and into volume production
• Engage across electrical, mechanical, validation, and embedded software domains to drive coherent execution across major projects
• Translate and integrate company goals into our sub-teams execution strategy 
• Make critical decisions informing team priorities

What You'll Bring 

• Minimum 2 years of experience as a technical program manager or hardware engineering centric role
• Past success in managing fast-paced technical projects in high-performance hardware fields such as automotive, energy, aerospace, transportation, or medical devices
• Demonstrated skill in problem-solving relationships both internally and with strategic vendor partnerships 
• Demonstrated skill in aligning priorities, coordinating timelines, and leading complex scope, resource, and schedule trades
• Enthusiasm for collaborating in a fast paced and highly cross-functional environment
• Clear communication skills and the ability to explain challenges and solutions to fellow engineers and non-engineers alike
• Must be eligible to work in the US
• Must be able to work in person at Zipline’s South San Francisco office

What Else You Need to Know