Test Engineering Manager Powertrain (Multiple Roles)

Test Engineering Manager - Powertrain (Multiple Roles)

Location: South San Francisco

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 worlds 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 Rwandas national blood delivery network and Ghanas 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. Through our technology that includes 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

We are seeking two Hardware Test Engineering Manager roles to lead the strategy development and execution of hardware validation and test activities across the product lifecycle. These roles require hands-on technical expertise and people leadership ensuring high-quality reliable hardware products delivered on schedule. The two roles within Powertrain team are:

• Energy and Power: batteries cells charging power distribution energy safety
• Electric Drivetrain: electric propulsion motors propellers electromechanical systems.

You will be responsible for leading a team of multidisciplinary engineers developing world-class test methods equipment and execution of hardware testing. This role is for the full lifecycle of hardware development from performance testing to find the limits of the hardware system-level performance tests durability and environmental survivability and the development of automated hardware testing for production line applications.

You will act as a player-coach who has an area of expertise in either batteries or electric propulsion and is comfortable providing strategic vision as well as being in the weeds of the teams designs builds analysis and reviews. You will help Zipline evolve its hardware testing philosophy and capacity and grow the team in the process. The success of this team is vital to the success of Zipline overall.

This effort will enable Ziplines impact to expand from 100s of thousand deliveries/year to 100s of millions in a wide variety of environmental conditions around the world.

WHAT YOULL DO

• Lead a team of test engineers and specialists responsible for powertrain testing.
• This group is responsible for:
• Demonstrating the ultimate capability of powertrain hardware including batteries cells power distribution units electric propulsion units and electromechanical actuators.
• Contributing to the overall intuition of the engineering team through close involvement in design reviews prototyping and testing of components and assemblies.
• Designing building operating purchasing and maintaining test equipment.
• Developing strategies and test campaigns to efficiently evaluate function reliability and safety of critical components and assemblies.
• Developing calculations for damage and fatigue to replicate flight conditions in ground-based test methods.
• Root causing failures alongside design engineers and working to create elegant solutions.
• Recreate system-level effects including off-nominal scenarios and safety tests.
• Raise the bar for the existing team by creating a vision for the future of the team based on company goals and implementing strategies to achieve outcomes.
• Develop laboratory grade test setups for either of:
• Battery Testing including safety testing and thermal runaway testing
• Cell Testing for cell cycle life and performance optimization
• Motor Testing including dynamometer development and motor characterization
• Propeller Testing including aerodynamic characterization
• Scope out areas where growth is needed and make key hires that revolutionize the quality and pace of work

To Achieve This You Will

• Leverage your technical leadership experience in relevant fields to establish a team culture that biases towards action and tests ideas to achieve radically simple and reliable designs.
• Motivate your team with a clear vision and create ambitious plans for your teams work while holding a high bar for technical quality
• Build your team by hiring world class engineers

What Youll Bring

• Past success leading engineering teams to rapidly develop first of its kind hardware and deploy into the field with the level of rigor that a high volume or safety critical application requires.
• Deep technical depth in test hardware design and interfacing with software and automation structures mechanisms and how to rapidly and effectively test for performance capability and reliability
• Enthusiasm for building a team - finding and convincing top talent to join you in your work.
• Past success managing and developing an excellent team of engineers.
• Past success bringing products through the full product development life cycle

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Electrical Engineering Computer Engineering Mechanical Engineering or related field
• 10 years of experience in hardware test validation or reliability engineering
• 3 years of people management or technical leadership experience
• Strong understanding of hardware design electronics and system-level testing.
• Strong understanding of fatigue analysis damage models material properties.
• Strong understanding of test acceleration methods and principles
• Expertise in either:
• Battery and cell testing especially for mass sensitive applications
• Motors and Electro-magnetics
• Propeller and Aerodynamics
• Familiarity with scripting automation tools and the automation of data analysis (Python preferred)

What Else You Need to Know
The starting cash range for this role is $145000 $225000. Please note that these are starting salary ranges that represent multiple internal levels. The final cash pay will depend on experience qualifications skills location and projected impact. Total compensation will also include equity incentives and benefits such as medical dental vision 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 traditionally underrepresented in tech. If you like the sound of this position but are not sure if you are the perfect fit please apply.

Please note that this role is based in South San Francisco; a remote option is not available.