Do you want to change the world? Zipline is on a mission to transform the way goods move. Our aim is to solve the world’s 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 Rwanda’s national blood delivery network and Ghana’s 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

Does the prospect of a large challenge - transitioning a company from prototype to volume manufacturing - excite you? Can you cut through the fog of multiple, competing requests to focus on the important and urgent priorities required to accomplish a long-term goal? Are you undeterred by the authority and responsibility that comes with a critical leadership position? If your answers are affirmative, then we’ve been looking for you: Please read on.

This is an in-person/hybrid role, based out of our HQ in South San Francisco.

What You'll Do

In this highly visible role, you will own component development qualification activities at suppliers and interact with Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations teams to scale Zipline’s manufacturing footprint.

Build the Team

• Lead a team of supplier industrialization engineers in the design, development, and qualification of parts at our manufacturing partners
• Partner with recruiting to identify and hire top-tier talent

Achieve the mission

• Plan, organize, direct and conduct industrialization related activities within the Design Engineering , Advanced Manufacturing, Material Planning, New Product Introduction (NPI) and Supply Chain teams
• Participate in Supplier Design for Manufacturability (DFM) reviews, guide suppliers in efficient use of poka-yokes, best methods of gauging, and correct tools or assembly equipment to use. Provide feedback to Zipline Design teams to ensure alignment and incorporation of feedback during validation build phases
• Lead, track and improve Supplier manufacturing process development and launch readiness for design changes, new products and outsourcing initiatives.
• Lead and implement supplier improvements for scalability, cost, and quality.
• Guide Suppliers in developing exceptionally robust processes and procedures to promote seamless and efficient production of high quality electrical components.
• Facilitate communication and clarification of technical requirements between Suppliers and Zipline’s Design, Internal Quality and Procurement teams. Collaborate with Zipline Design, Internal Quality and Manufacturing/NPI to determine ideal performance specifications and Supplier metrics.
• Drive improvements utilizing Lean methodologies, Statistical Process Control (SPC), and supplier scorecards.

What You'll Bring

• You have worked for a minimum of 5 years in a fast paced and high growth environment as a Supplier Quality Engineer, Supplier Development Engineer, or Supplier Industrialization Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, Process Engineering)
• You have successfully launched, into volume production, complex electrical components and assemblies using quality planning from prototype through mass production stages.
• Demonstrated success managing people and driving the growth and professional development of team members
• Develops strategic vision for the team and establishes goals and milestones to advance systems, processes and tools for effective quality management
• You have actively participated in a product design effort and thus know what it takes to transition from prototype to volume production (if you used any CAD system like Altium, OrCAD, Nx, Catia, Solidworks PCB that is a big plus!).
• You have worked with an established Quality System and applied it to improve your supply base (applicable standards are AS9100/ISO9001/IATF16949).
• You have achieved measurable results with implementing Product Quality Planning with part suppliers and contract manufacturers, both domestic and overseas (applicable examples are Advanced Product Quality Planning, Production Part Approval Process, Process Failure Modes and Effects Analysis, SPC)
• You can thrive in structured and unstructured environments and are not dissuaded at the prospect of making hard decisions about what is important and urgent against a backdrop of limited resources.
• Ability to travel 25-30% of the time to visit Suppliers. Zipline will work with you to make sure that this is possible.
• Must be eligible to work in the US

NICE TO HAVE

• You have technical expertise in at least one of the following discipline (mold flow simulation, machining / inspection fixture design, GD&T, metrology (cmm / omm programming and inspection), manufacturing line setup, electro-mechanical assembly testing, etc.)
• You have process experience in at least one of the following processes (injection molding, machining, die casting, painting, 3d printing, welding, stamping, SMT, etc.)
• You have visited vendors in different geographies and you know what excellence looks like across a variety of manufacturing processes so that you can effectively assess the best fit for Zipine’s needs
• You understand the value of methods such as 8D, 5-WHY, Pareto Charts and Fishbone Diagrams because you have achieved measurable results by using them and influencing others to do the same.
• You have a good understanding of and have successfully implemented gates within a product development process and achieved the intended results.
• You have strong project management skills with demonstrated ability to drive aggressive timelines with key stakeholders internally and externally.

What Else You Need to Know