Fleet Commander (RPIC)

About Zipline

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. 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 world’s 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 we’ve 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 people’s 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.

About You and The Role

Zipline is looking for a Fleet Commander (RPIC) to join our Flight Operations team as we expand our operations at our newest Fleet Command facility in South San Francisco. The ideal candidate for this role has a passion for aviation, attention to detail, and the ability to leverage good judgment as part of a highly motivated and dynamic team. This position is based at our Fleet Command facility in South San Francisco, CA and will play a key role in the development and success of our rapidly growing operations in the United States.

The successful candidate will be expected to meet and maintain the qualification requirements to act as Fleet Commander (RPIC) for Ziplines’s commercial drone delivery service. In this role, the Fleet Commander is responsible for safely operating a large fleet of highly autonomous aircraft beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), all while maintaining tight adherence to established policies, procedures, and FAA-associated regulations.

Note: Duties and responsibilities will continue to evolve as operations expand and new company goals emerge. The following reflects the most current duties and responsibilities for the Fleet Commander position.

Note: For continued employment in this position, you must successfully complete Zipline’s approved flight training program and receive a Zipline Fleet Commander (RPIC) qualification. The initial training course takes approximately 2 weeks and is conducted at our training facility near Charlotte, North Carolina. You will be compensated for attending this training and travel expenses will be covered in accordance with Zipline’s travel policy.

*This is an on-site role based in South San Francisco, CA.

Duties / Responsibilities

• Safely execute high volume commercial flights as the responsible person in charge for all uncrewed aircraft arriving, departing, and aloft (this includes preflight planning, pre-shift briefing, ongoing weather and system checks, airspace monitoring, etc.)

• Ensure broader operational compliance with documented policies, procedures and regulatory permissions.

• Complete administrative and training tasks, qualifications, and proficiency activities quickly and/or on schedule.

• Ensure appropriate and timely response to operational downtime, fleet issues, and other abnormalities as observed.

• Upon request, assist with audits and various aspects of operational oversight, including safety and compliance.

What You'll Bring

• Prior experience with UAS or traditional flight operations

• Sound judgment and decision making abilities in a time sensitive, safety critical environment

• Strong written and oral communication skills

• Technical problem solving abilities, innovative, and basic data fluency

• Self starter attitude, jumps in to help the team at every opportunity

• Attention to detail, both when performing hands-on work and administrative tasks

• The ability to work well in a small team environment or independently

Technical Requirements

• FAA-issued P107 remote pilot certificate

• Completion of Zipline Fleet Commander (RPIC) training

• Valid Driver’s license

• Must pass a pre-employment drug/alcohol screen and background check

• Must be eligible to work in the United States

• Must be willing to work some nights/weekends.

• Must be okay with traveling a minimum of 10% of your time (e.g. initial training, new site or product launches, etc.)

What Else You Need to Know

The compensation range for this role is $39.50 - $48/ hour.

Zipline is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, or other characteristics protected by state, federal or local law or our other policies.

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!