Civil Project Engineer

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 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. 

About the Role:

As the Sales/ Project Engineer for Ziplines Ground Systems and Site Infrastructure, you’ll spearhead the deployment success of Ziplines Offsite Charging sites, the game changing autonomous loading Zipping Point, and other site infrastructure. You’ll be handling all deployment topics, finding innovative solutions that work for partner sites, executing solutions to problems and roadblocks, and driving feedback and product changes to simplify and accelerate the rollout of Ziplines delivery infrastructure. This is a role well suited to technical engineers with great customer engagement skills - you’ll be crafting and designing solutions for new customers by listening to their feedback and needs, providing Zipline's fundamental perspectives and learnings and bringing all stakeholders along for the journey. As part of this you’ll engage in pre-contract discussions as the key technical stakeholder, the lead and manage those projects once signed from initial site evaluation through to construction and initial operation working across internal and external building and infrastructure teams, permitting and AHJ’s, installation teams and contractors, technical operations teams, and internal engineering and product teams.  You’ll work closely with the broader Engineering teams, Deployment and Construction team, Real Estate and Government Affairs,  Community Engagement and Legal teams teams to build strong relationships with key stakeholders and secure the necessary approvals to expand our network.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Work with customer teams and internal customer success teams to seamlessly integrate Zipline systems into both existing and newly designed infrastructure, including creating site layouts and related technical documents. Engage with partners’ internal teams to ensure alignment on expectations and timelines.
• Understand our internal and external customer’s business and needs and work with our internal engineering and business teams to refine and roadmap necessary product changes to ensure the successful deployment of the Ground Systems infrastructure. Maintain the high level customer specs and cut-sheets for the Zipline Systems. 
• Develop and lead pre-construction strategies to streamline entitlements and permits for Ziplines Ground System and Site Infrastructure projects. 
• Build and maintain strong relationships with Customer teams and technical staff, City Managers, staff, and City Council members and inspectors to facilitate smooth approvals and permit completion from Planning and Zoning commissions and AHJ’s. Collaborate closely with jurisdictions, land use counsel, Real estate team, and our Legal team to create pathways for deployments in evolving customer and regulatory landscapes.Source and foster relationships with external stakeholders, including local jurisdictions, utilities, and contractors.
• Understand and mitigate the preconstruction, construction, operational and sustaining  risks associated with each project. 
• Manage many parallel small construction projects, site infrastructure installments, construction contractors, and additional real estate development projects.
• Source and manage general contractors and subcontractors across various trades (construction, assembly, electrical) during bid, pre-construction, construction and site commissioning project phases. Evaluate all options and a lean budget, select best vendors to ensure reliable and quality services and products. Source and develop relationships with outside organizations (local jurisdiction, utilities, contractors, OEM and material suppliers etc).
• Develop and implement solutions to problems/projects/applications and associated systems from 0-1-100  across parallel projects and initiatives. 

This role can be based out of San Francisco or Dallas or Houston. Onsite is preferred but this role is remote flexible with up to 50% travel for exceptional candidates.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Real Estate Development, Finance, Business Administration, Urban Planning, Architecture, Construction Management, or a related field 
• 4+  years of experience in a relevant field - technical sales of hardware products at scale, technical product management, real estate development or construction. Experience with technical sales and solution design of contractor installed equipment, and experience in the light commercial construction industry  is strongly preferred. 
• Proven ability to manage entitlements and permits for infrastructure projects in collaboration with internal and customers’ Real Estate and Construction teams. Familiarity with working alongside Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) to navigate permitting and inspection processes.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to align internal stakeholders on project requirements and provide leadership with regular updates on challenges, risks, and opportunities. Fluency in communicating ideas clearly, whether through quick sketches, sharp technical writing, or strategic presentations tailored to your audience.
• Experience working with External design teams (Architectural, Structural, Civil,Electrical MEPs) on commercial or industrial development  / construction projects. 
• Experience with CAD tools to develop site layouts, indicative construction designs and other technical drawings. 
• Must be a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in Texas, or able to obtain Texas licensure via comity with a few months.
• Based in the Dallas or Houston METRO region, with the flexibility to travel up to 20% (Higher if outside METRO region) domestically and internationally to support expansion projects.
• Must be eligible to work in the U.S.

What Else You Need To Know

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! If you’d like to learn more about Zipline and our teams, feel free to check out our Instagram, one of our Reddit AMA’s, or our website!