Mechanical Engineer Intern

Job Description

Mechanical Engineer Intern (Fall 2026) | Zipline

The Tone:
This is an internship at Zipline, located in South San Francisco, CA or Dallas, TX. Zipline operates the world’s largest and most experienced drone delivery service, designing, building, and operating autonomous logistics systems to ensure access to food, medicine, and essential goods anytime, anywhere. This role is crucial because interns will aggressively tackle cross-disciplinary projects, taking them from early conceptual stages through to full field deployment. Their practical solutions and focus on reliability directly impact customers daily, contributing to saving lives, reducing emissions, and increasing economic opportunity across four continents.

The TL;DR
• Role: Internship
• Type: Full-time
• Location: In-person, South San Francisco, CA or Dallas, TX

• Mission: Own and develop solutions for integral mechanical problems within Zipline’s autonomous logistics system to ensure reliability and enable global operations.
• Tech Stack: 2D CAD, 3D CAD, actuators, Raspberry Pi’s

What You’ll Actually Do
• Develop concepts and evaluate tradeoffs based on product and engineering requirements.
• Design parts and assemblies using 2D and 3D CAD tools, applying sound engineering principles.
• Design, build, and test prototypes to gather quick learnings and prove reliability of critical components.
• Root cause failures in existing systems and develop tests to replicate identified failure modes.
• Work cross-functionally with other Zipline teams and suppliers to review designs and document key decisions.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Student who has completed at least the second year of Undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering. Masters and PhD students are also eligible.
• Experience: Robust experience designing and building multiple mechanical systems outside of the classroom, such as submarines, solar cars, electric boats, airplanes, and rockets. Experience working on complex projects that require mechanical, electrical, and software design.
• Skills: Solid mechanical engineering fundamentals for structural analysis, sizing parts, and integrating components into designs. Proficiency in CAD, having designed multiple projects. Automation experience from working with actuators and Raspberry Pi’s (or similar).
• Bonus: Excitement to build on design skills through brainstorms, design reviews, and failure mode analysis. A “can do” attitude for solving critical problems.