Materials Engineer Intern (Spring & Summer 2027)

Zipline · 2027 Internships

Where: South San Francisco, California, USA
Posted: Aug 21

Does aggressively tackling cross disciplinary projects from early conceptual stages through to full field deployment sound like the way you want to spend your time? Do you eliminate circular discussions by running a test or use your hands-on skills to build a prototype instead of scheduling another meeting?

At Zipline, your work is intended for the field, where customers are counting on it every day, so there is no time for ambiguous communication or unrealistic expectations. We need dedicated engineers to burn down risk and improve reliability in our system like their life depends on it– because others' lives do.

What you'd do

Materials interns can own a variety of big problems integral to our system! You can expect to
Perform materials characterization using tools such as section/mount/polish, optical microscopy, SEM/EDS, hardness testing, and mechanical testing.
Support failure investigations by examining physical evidence, developing hypotheses, and identifying material or processdriven failure mechanisms.
Evaluate the effects of manufacturing processes, surface condition, coatings, joining, and environmental exposure on component performance.
Qualify material, supplier, or process changes through structured testing and data analysis.
Analyze experimental data using Python, MATLAB, JMP, or similar tools and communicate conclusions through clear plots, images, and technical documentation.
Develop or improve test methods, fixtures, procedures, and characterization workflows.
Work cross-functionally with design, manufacturing, reliability, supplier quality, and test engineers to turn materials evidence into engineering decisions.
Document your work so that others can easily understand key decisions made
You’ll bring strong fundamentals in materials science and mechanical behavior for identifying material or process driven failure mechanisms.

About Zipline · 2027 Internships

Zipline is the world’s 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 world’s largest autonomous logistics system, delivering critical supplies quickly and reliably.