Maintenance Quality Manager

Job Description

Quality Manager, Maintenance Operations | Zipline

The Tone:
This is a full-time, field-oriented role for Zipline, focused on U.S. operations. Zipline designs, builds, and operates an autonomous logistics system using drones to deliver critical supplies like food, medicine, and retail products globally. This role is crucial for ensuring the reliability and quality of Zipline’s maintenance operations, directly impacting the availability and safety of their drone fleet. By perfecting maintenance processes, this role helps strengthen supply chains and delivers essential goods quickly and reliably.

The TL;DR
• Role: Full Time
• Location: In-person, U.S. operations
• Mission: Build the operating system that ensures maintenance repairs are consistent, measurable, and effective across Zipline’s U.S. operations.
• Tech Stack: SQL, Python, Tableau, Looker, Power BI, ThoughtSpot

What You’ll Actually Do
• Metrics Definition: Define the metrics and review mechanisms to make maintenance quality visible, using fleet-health, reliability, and maintenance-record data to identify systemic issues.
• Standard Setting: Define inspection criteria, acceptance requirements, and return-to-service controls for preventive and corrective maintenance.
• Problem Resolution: Lead nonconformance and corrective-action work end-to-end, from containment and root-cause analysis through action ownership and effectiveness checks.
• System Development: Build and continuously improve a maintenance Quality Management System, including standards, governance, document control, and audit processes.
• Feedback Loop: Close the feedback loop between the field and Engineering, Training, Technical Publications, and Supply Chain by turning quality findings into better procedures, training, tooling, parts, and designs.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Manager-level professional with 3-7 years of experience in maintenance quality, operational quality, reliability, field service, or a related discipline supporting complex, field-deployed hardware.
• Experience: Proven track record of influencing cross-functional teams, driving change, and maintaining a high quality bar without creating unnecessary process or bureaucracy. Requires field credibility and technical curiosity to understand complex mechanical, electrical, or electromechanical systems well enough to challenge assumptions.
• Skills: Strong knowledge of root-cause analysis and structured problem-solving methods such as 5 Whys, fishbone analysis, 8D, or fault-tree analysis. Proficiency in SQL, and with data-analysis and visualization tools such as Python, Tableau, Looker, Power BI, or ThoughtSpot. Strong command of audits, nonconformance management, root-cause analysis, corrective action, change control, and effectiveness verification.
• Bonus: Experience leveraging AI tools to advance data analysis and visualization, develop light-code user interfaces and tools, and synthesize information. Working knowledge of quality standards such as ISO 9001, AS9100, or similar regulated quality frameworks. Experience leading continuous-improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methods.