Flight Test Electrical Lead

About You and The Role 

Zipline is seeking a highly skilled, hands-on Flight Test Electrical Lead to own the electrical systems and electrical project portfolio across our U.S. test sites.

This is a working lead position—not a desk-based project-management role. You should expect to personally perform approximately 80–90% of the electrical installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair work associated with these projects. You will also lead the planning, organization, prioritization, and execution of electrical work across multiple facilities.

You will take end-to-end ownership of each test site’s electrical systems—from evaluating needs and developing project plans through procurement, installation, commissioning, documentation, and long-term maintenance. For larger or specialized projects, you will coordinate with outside electrical contractors and ensure their work meets Zipline’s safety, quality, schedule, and operational requirements.

You will work closely with Zipline’s electrical designers, engineers, site leaders, facilities partners, and safety teams. These partners will help support technical plans and decisions, but you will remain responsible for driving the work forward and ensuring that safe, reliable electrical infrastructure is delivered.

This role requires regular travel between Zipline test facilities located throughout the United States. Travel frequency will vary depending on project needs.

What You'll Do

Electrical Project Execution

• Personally perform the majority of electrical installations, modifications, repairs, maintenance, and troubleshooting across Zipline’s test sites.
• Install and maintain electrical infrastructure supporting test operations, facilities, equipment, temporary structures, and new site development.
• Diagnose electrical problems, identify root causes, and implement safe, durable repairs.
• Lead electrical projects from initial site assessment through planning, installation, testing, commissioning, and closeout.
• Ensure work is completed safely, efficiently, and to a high standard of quality.
• Balance permanent solutions with temporary or rapidly deployable systems appropriate for a fast-moving test environment.

Planning and Prioritization

• Build clear project scopes, execution plans, material lists, cost estimates, and schedules.
• Identify tools, materials, equipment, permits, and external support required before work begins.
• Prioritize electrical work across multiple test facilities based on safety, operational impact, urgency, available resources, and company objectives.
• Proactively identify electrical risks, capacity constraints, aging infrastructure, and future facility needs.
• Maintain visibility into active projects, upcoming work, dependencies, risks, and completion timelines.
• Ensure projects are properly prepared so work can be executed efficiently once on site.

Site Ownership

• Take ownership of the condition, reliability, safety, and maintainability of electrical systems across all Flight Test sites.
• Develop a strong understanding of each facility’s electrical infrastructure, operational requirements, and known risks.
• Establish preventive-maintenance and inspection practices appropriate for each site.
• Maintain accurate drawings, panel schedules, equipment records, project documentation, and service histories.
• Create clear standards and repeatable approaches for electrical installations across the test-site network.
• Follow issues through resolution rather than treating individual repairs or installations as isolated tasks.

Contractor and Cross-Functional Coordination

• Determine when work should be completed internally and when outside electrical contractors are required.
• Define scopes of work, support contractor selection, coordinate site access, and oversee contractor execution.
• Hold contractors accountable for safety, quality, schedule, documentation, and code compliance.
• Review contractor proposals and completed work for technical completeness and operational suitability.
• Partner with electrical engineers and designers to review plans, resolve technical questions, and make practical field decisions.
• Coordinate closely with site leaders to minimize operational disruption and ensure facilities are ready to support testing.
• Communicate project status, risks, tradeoffs, and resource needs clearly to technical and operational stakeholders.

Safety and Compliance

• Perform and oversee electrical work in accordance with applicable codes, regulations, permits, company standards, and safe-work practices.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert for electrical safety across Flight Test facilities.
• Identify unsafe conditions and take prompt action to mitigate risk.
• Support permitting, inspection, lockout/tagout, energized-work controls, and other required electrical safety processes.
• Ensure installations are properly inspected, labeled, documented, and commissioned before being placed into service.
• Exercise sound judgment regarding when work can be completed internally and when engineering, contractor, utility, or authority-having-jurisdiction involvement is required.

What You'll Bring

Required Qualifications

• Active California C-10 Electrical Contractor license in good standing.
• Current California electrician certification/license applicable to the work being performed.
• Significant hands-on experience performing commercial or industrial electrical installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
• Demonstrated experience independently planning and executing electrical projects from scope development through completion.
• Strong working knowledge of the National Electrical Code and applicable electrical safety requirements.
• Experience reading, interpreting, and working from electrical drawings, one-line diagrams, specifications, and panel schedules.
• Ability to estimate labor, materials, equipment, cost, and schedule requirements.
• Experience coordinating and overseeing outside electrical contractors.
• Strong troubleshooting skills and the ability to make sound decisions in dynamic field environments.
• A high degree of ownership, organization, follow-through, and attention to detail.
• Ability to clearly communicate plans, risks, priorities, and technical issues to both technical and nontechnical partners.
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly between facilities located across the United States.
• Valid driver’s license and the ability to safely operate company vehicles as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting test facilities, aviation operations, manufacturing, research and development, or other high-tempo technical environments.
• Experience with new-site construction, temporary power, service upgrades, power distribution, backup power, lighting, controls, and equipment installations.
• Experience working at geographically dispersed or remote facilities.
• Experience developing preventive-maintenance programs and electrical-system documentation.
• Experience coordinating with utilities, inspectors, permitting authorities, engineers, and general contractors.
• Familiarity with low-voltage systems, generators, energy storage, renewable-energy systems, or electric-vehicle infrastructure.

What Success Looks Like

• Electrical projects are properly scoped, prepared, prioritized, and completed safely.
• The majority of electrical work is executed directly and efficiently without unnecessary contractor dependence.
• Materials, tools, permits, and supporting resources are ready before work begins.
• Site leaders have clear visibility into project status, risks, and timelines.
• Contractors receive well-defined scopes and deliver work that meets Zipline’s expectations.
• Electrical systems across all test sites are safe, reliable, documented, and capable of supporting current and future test operations.
• Potential problems are identified and addressed before they disrupt testing or create safety risks.
• Every project has a clear owner and is followed through to complete, documented closeout.

Physical and Travel Requirements

• Ability to perform hands-on electrical work in indoor and outdoor environments.
• Ability to work from ladders, lifts, rooftops, and other elevated work areas when properly trained and equipped.
• Ability to lift, carry, position, and operate tools, materials, and electrical equipment.
• Ability to work at remote test sites and in varying weather and environmental conditions.
• Willingness to travel frequently and, when project needs require it, remain at a test facility for multiple consecutive days.

What Else You Need To Know

The starting cash range for this role is $120,000-$135,000 ($58-$65/hour). Please note that this is a target, starting cash range for a candidate who meets the minimum qualifications for this role. The final cash pay for this role will depend on a variety of factors, including a specific candidate's experience, qualifications, skills, working location, and projected impact. The total compensation package for this role may also include: equity compensation; overtime pay; sales incentives; benefits such as medical, dental and vision insurance; paid time off; and more.

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!