Head of Security, Zipline
$225-275k
3-5 days a week in office
Transforming the way goods move
Be an early applicant
Transforming the way goods move
1001+ employees
Be an early applicant
$225-275k
3-5 days a week in office
1001+ employees
Company mission
To open up access to emergency medical care to everyone in the world.
Role
Who you are
- 12+ years of hands-on experience in cybersecurity, with 5+ years building and leading lean, high-impact security teams in fast-paced, startup environments
- Proven ability to define security vision and execute it—from 0 to 1 and beyond—balancing urgency with long-term strategy
- Success driving security initiatives in engineering-led cultures, partnering closely with product and infrastructure teams
- Deep understanding of security frameworks (SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST CSF) and how to apply them pragmatically in high-growth environments
- Strong background in cloud security (AWS/GCP), IAM, endpoint protection, and application security—plus the judgment to prioritize what’s most important
- Experience securing complex, high-risk systems such as edge devices, embedded systems, or connected hardware (e.g., drones, robotics, aerospace, IoT)
- Executive presence and communication skills to influence leadership and align teams around a security roadmap
- Ability to identify top security risks and implement incremental improvements while enabling a fast pace of innovation
What the job involves
- As the Head of Security at Zipline, you will define and lead our company-wide cybersecurity strategy across application software, product development, corporate systems, and drone software security.
- You’ll work closely with our engineering, product, legal, and operations teams to ensure our systems are resilient against evolving threats while continuing to enable our pace of innovation.
- You will own the security roadmap and lead a small team of security-focused engineers to strengthen our capabilities and ensure the integrity of our applications and infrastructure
- This role will own Zipline’s cybersecurity program end-to-end—from governance and compliance to cloud and endpoint security, threat detection, and incident response.
- You’ll be the key voice on cybersecurity for our leadership team and a strategic advisor to teams building the future of logistics. This is a unique opportunity to help secure a category-defining product that operates at the intersection of aerospace, autonomy, and logistics
- Define and drive Zipline’s cybersecurity strategy across the company, including risk management, governance, compliance, and incident response
- Lead a team of security engineers and work with engineers across all teams to build secure, scalable systems and processes
- Partner with Engineering, IT, and Legal to ensure secure development, infrastructure, and operations
- Establish and maintain Zipline’s security roadmap, aligning technical and business priorities
- Own and lead compliance efforts such as SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, and other relevant regulatory and customer-driven frameworks
- Design and oversee robust detection and response strategies, including vulnerability management, endpoint protection, and incident playbooks
- Act as a strategic partner in the secure design of Zipline’s drone software and operational platforms—especially against reverse engineering, with strong defensive strategies
- Build and lead executive-level communications on security posture, emerging threats, and strategic initiatives
- Cultivate a security-first culture across teams through education, awareness, and clear guidance
Our take
Zipline is transforming the way goods move by creating the first logistics system that serves all humans equally via a drone delivery service. As the first emergency drone logistics operation, Zipline is fundamentally changing how we transport emergency medical supplies and has expanded into commercial deliveries. It's partnered with several major companies, including Walmart.
Zipline has an edge over potential future competitors as the company has thousands of hours and over 35 million miles of flight to prove the system is safe and effective. It’s also one of the first companies to receive a full commercial operating certificate, putting Zipline in a strong position to continuously branch out to other markets.
The unicorn company operates globally and has signed its first government contract with Rwanda to provide up to 2 million drone deliveries by 2029. It is also aiming to start commercial deliveries to individual households in the near future. With big companies such as Amazon and Walmart examining “instant” delivery options, Zipline has a proven track record and the equipment and logistics in place to provide such services. 2023 funding pushed Zipline's valuation to a staggering $4.2 billion, indicating a bright future.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
34% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 8 rounds)
Apr 2023
$330m
SERIES F
Jul 2021
$250m
SERIES E
Total funding: $813.7m
Company benefits
- Generous parental leave
- Generous vacation policy
- Monthly wellness stipend
- Monthly team events
- Healthcare, vision, and dental
- Healthy, delicious meals and snacks
- Dog-friendly offices
Company HQ
South San Francisco, CA
Leadership
Having studied Economics and Biotechnology at Harvard, they worked for almost 11 months as a self-employed rock climber. They combined their academic and practical experience to co-found Zipline in July 2011.
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