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 the first instant logistics system that serves all humans equally. Leveraging expertise in robotics and autonomy, Zipline serves tens of millions of people around the world. 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
You enjoy solving complex structural problems using first principles analysis coupled with system level finite element models (FEM). You will be responsible for the structural analysis of aircraft composite structures. In this role you will own the durability and damage tolerance analysis of flight structures including setting and upholding analysis requirements, processes, and standards. This role will work closely with structures and subsystems engineers to design and analyze fracture and fatigue tolerant structures and interfaces that operate in extreme environments for years without inspection or maintenance. You will work closely with Reliability and Test Engineering to identify, investigate, and root cause failures discovered in testing and in the field.
How to know if it’s you: You’ve built your own prototypes to get quick answers, pencil and paper calculations are always your first step, you prefer simple and fast over detailed and large, you are on the floor during system testing, you have never presented a FEM plot without adjusting the legend scale. You’ve owned the analysis of composite structures from preliminary design through qualification testing and beyond. On any given day you could be building test articles in our composites/prototype labs, developing simple models to inform design trade studies, performing structural tests to validate analysis, working across disciplines to tackle complex system level challenges, root causing a test or field failure, or in the field supporting flight tests.
Zipline was founded by engineers dedicated to making the world a better place. We are building a new global industry and are looking for a talented engineer who takes a hands-on approach and will use analysis to drive design. The ideal candidate will be someone who excels in a fast paced, dynamic environment and is excited to own and drive simple, elegant solutions to complex problems that will help save lives every day.
What You’ll Do
- Durability and Damage Tolerance (DADT) Analysis
- Own the development of a system level inspection method and criteria to assess structural integrity of damaged composite structures (long fiber carbon fiber/epoxy & glass fiber epoxy material systems)
- Evaluate and optimize composite structures for resistance to fatigue and fracture
- Define program DADT requirements and methodologies for designing and analyzing damage tolerant composites structures, including developing fatigue spectra for fracture critical components
- Quantify damage limits for composite structures
- Derive material property requirements and maximum allowable flaw size requirements for damage tolerant designs
- Assess and address nonconformances during manufacturing, testing, and field operations that may impact system DADT
- Build and document standardized in-house tools and processes to perform DADT analysis
- Structural Analysis
- Develop company standards for composite structural analysis (carbon fiber/epoxy & glass fiber/epoxy material systems)
- Evaluate and optimize system (flight and ground) for structural loads, vibration modes, and deflections
- Perform analysis and sizing of airframe primary and secondary structure including static, dynamic, stability and damage tolerance analysis for composite structures
- Classical stress analysis (Roark/Bruhn) to do initial sizing
- Dynamic analysis, including structural modes, random vibration, and forced harmonic vibration
- Drive design trades with data from lightweight FEMs (Beams/Shells) that can be rapidly updated (daily) to match evolving configurations
- Experimental Correlation of Flight and Test Data
- Identify and define when test correlation is required to validate simulation models including static, dynamic, and flight tests
- Produce pre-test predictions, instrumentation locations, and post test data analysis to tune model stiffness and stress results within 5% of test
- Rapidly resolve test issues (hours) and provide corrective action direction for issues found in qualification testing
- Work closely with design and test engineers to determine test requirements and support vehicle level tests
What You’ll Bring
- 5+ Years of experience with structural analysis of composite structures, including durability and damage tolerance analysis
- Passion for and demonstrated history of solving complex engineering challenges
- Experience with industry standard analysis tools (Siemens NX, FEMAP/NX Nastran, AFGROW/ NASGRO, Siemens Simcenter, MATLAB)
- Vehicle/System level architecture analysis
- History of working with cross functional teams to solve complex engineering problems
What Else You Need to Know
The starting cash range for this role is $130,000 - $165,000. 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; discretionary annual or performance bonuses; 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!
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!
