Flight Test Operator (SkillBridge) Amarillo, TX

Zipline is the worlds largest and most experienced drone delivery service. We are on a mission to serve all humans equally by ensuring access to food medicine and essential goods anytime anywhere. We design build and operate the worlds largest autonomous logistics system delivering critical supplies quickly and reliably. Today Zipline operates on four continents makes a delivery somewhere in the world every 30 seconds and has completed millions of deliveries to date including blood vaccines medical supplies food and retail products.

Our customers include the worlds largest and most prominent healthcare systems governments retailers restaurants and global businesses who rely on us to save lives reduce emissions increase economic opportunity and provide delivery from point A to point B as fast as possible. The drone is only 15% of what weve built to enable seamless reliable global operations.

Our system strengthens supply chains reduces congestion and gives people time back. With more than 140 million commercial autonomous miles safely flown Zipline is redefining access to healthcare consumer products and food across the globe.

We operate at a global scale and are looking for practical problem solvers who thrive on real-world challenges and rapid growth. Our team is motivated by building systems that have a direct meaningful impact on peoples lives and by scaling the future of logistics. We are seeking people who sculpt from first principles enjoy facing adversity and can do the impossible at record breaking speeds.

Please Note: The Zipline SkillBridge program provides transitioning service members the opportunity to gain work experience through an internship during their final 180 days of service. Zipline offers both structured instruction and on-the-job training through a 3-4 month internship.

This is not a general employment opportunity. This role is only open to active-duty U.S. military service members who have been approved (or are eligible for approval) to participate in the DoW SkillBridge program. Applications from candidates who are not SkillBridge-eligible cannot be considered.

You are a hands-on Flight Test Operator focused on bringing early-stage Zipline aircraft fromprototype through production bring-up. You will execute iterate and sign off on flight operationsthat validate airworthiness avionics/software integration and field-deployable procedures thatenable drone delivery at scale. Youll work at Ziplines test site(s) and coordinate closely withvehicle engineering software safety manufacturing and field operations to turn early stageflight software into reliable releaseready aircraft. This role matters because timely rigorousflight validation reduces deployment risk shortens product development cycles and directlyaffects delivery reliability for our customers.

• Own end-to-end daily flight test campaign execution
• Act as Remote Pilot in Command for Ziplines Autonomous Aircraft - executing mission profiles feature testing and fault injection testing
• Validate functionality through repeatable ground and flight test procedures
• Troubleshoot and repair software and hardware issues on-site to return aircraft to flight
• Summarize test results: provide qualitative and quantitative analysis on the performance of anaircraft as it completes its mission - comparing to a set of expected outcomes provided byengineering
• Escalate flight performance anomalies to engineering and safety driving discussion towardsresolution
• Enforce and improve site safety: manage risks for prototype flights run briefings and debriefsand refine SOPs to reduce repeat failures.
• Location & schedule: This role is onsite at a Zipline test site (outdoor/field conditions). Expectto work weekends and night shifts and occasional regional travel between test sites whenrequired.

• FAA Part 107 certification (required at time of joining)
• Experience piloting drones or manned aircraft
• Demonstrated aeronautical decision making and accountability: experience owning go/no-godecisions creating preflight checklists and escalating safety incidents with clear documentation.
• Operational intensity and logistics: Comfortable working in failure-heavy iterative fieldenvironments where rapid diagnostics and repairs under time pressure are routine; able to liftand move 50 lb equipment and work outdoors for multi-hour test windows.
• Ownership and communication: Proven ability to own test campaigns end-to-end makesafety-forward go/nogo decisions document results clearly and coordinate across engineeringsafety and manufacturing to drive closure.
• Nice-to-have: Linux command-line comfort rapid-prototyping skills (3D printing basicmachining) and experience with automated flight systems.

SkillBridge start dates are flexible. Housing is not provided.

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!

For government reporting purposes we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Zipline s Equal Employment Opportunity policy we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.