Computational Physics Intern (Spring 2026)

About Zipline

Zipline is on a mission to transform the way goods move. Our aim is to solve the worlds most urgent and complex access challenges by building the first instant logistics system that serves all humans equally. Leveraging expertise in robotics and autonomy Zipline designs builds and operates a fleet of cutting edge autonomous delivery drones. We serve tens of millions of people around the world.

Joining Ziplines Emerging Talent program as an intern is an opportunity to contribute to our promise of building a system that provides equitable access to critical healthcare supplies for millions of people. We believe that internships are more than just opportunities to learn by watching or doing low level tasks. We expect our interns to take on meaningful work that actively contributes to moving Ziplines mission forward while learning real-world skills that will serve them in their careers for the long term.

Join us and build the future of logistics with the best humans around!

About theSystems Modeling Team

The Systems Modeling Team has tremendous power to shape Ziplines products. We develop physics-based models and use them to architect our aircraft as well as the supporting logistics system. Using simulation we can rapidly explore a vast array of designs to optimize future products and we can find ways to squeeze more performance out of our existing products.

Systems Modeling brings diverse teams and fields together (e.g. mechanical aerodynamics electrical battery chemistry thermal controls fleet operations economics) to gain new insights. We translate technical conversations into rigorously framed engineering problems. We value asking pertinent questions and generating coherent answers.

The Role

Leading the way in drone delivery requires pushing the limits of individual component technologies and carefully orchestrating which ones we put together to optimize the performance of the complete vehicle. How much of the benefit of a larger motor is counteracted by its aerodynamic penalty How much range are we willing to give up for extra payload capacity How do we optimally control battery charging electrically and thermally to strike a balance between turnaround time and battery longevity

Answering these types of questions requires high-caliber computational tools. Zipline is seeking an engineering intern that can understand system-level problem statements appreciate the tradeoffs between accuracy and computational efficiency and architect elegant code tools. The outputs of these tools will directly drive critical architectural and operational decisions at the aircraft and fleet level.

What Youll Do

• Develop computational tools to automate high-level design trades optimizations and sensitivity studies
• Improve the performance and flexibility of simulation frameworks
• Build physics-based models that underlie aircraft performance simulations
• Analyze test data to validate vehicle component models

What Youll Bring

• A drive to help people and make the world a better place
• Passion for tackling challenging multidisciplinary problems
• The ability to recognize tradeoffs in the design of complex computational analysis frameworks
• Expertise in Matlab Python Julia Rust or similar; for modeling simulation optimization and/or data analysis
• Proficiency in numerical methods

Nice to have:

• Basic understanding of batteries electric motors and/or aircraft dynamics; and typical approaches to modeling them
• A solid grasp of classical physics
• Experience interpreting experimental data
• Experience with model-based systems design ideally in an extracurricular setting

What Else You Should Know

Our internships are full-time positions in-person at our South San Francisco or Dallas office. We will host our Spring 2026 interns from January to April.

Candidates are limited to three (3) applications within a 30-day period.

The starting cash range for this internship is $38 - 42/ hour. 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 candidates experience qualifications skills and working location. The total compensation package for each role may also include: a housing stipend; overtime pay; relocation support; paid sick time; 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!

Zipline is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your point of contact at Zipline know if you require any accommodations throughout your interview process.