Staff Software Engineer, Zipline
Healthcare
$180-270k
Salary in US currency, may vary in other locations
Transforming the way goods move
Open for applications
Transforming the way goods move
1001+ employees
Open for applications
$180-270k
Salary in US currency, may vary in other locations
1001+ employees
Company mission
To build the world's first logistics system that serves all people equally.
Role
Who you are
- 10+ years building and operating production-grade distributed systems
- Deep full-stack development experience with Python, Go, or a similar object-oriented language, plus React or a comparable JavaScript framework
- Experience architecting distributed, event-driven systems using Kafka or similar technologies
- Strong database modeling and performance-tuning experience with Postgres
- A track record of designing software that is simple, flexible, resilient, and supported by comprehensive automated testing
- Experience making architectural decisions in a fast-changing operational environment and mentoring junior engineers through coaching, pairing, or design reviews
- Ability to travel 3-4 times a year to visit our operations in Africa; desire to travel more extensively or to relocate near our operations is a plus
- Experience with fulfillment, logistics, or warehouse systems is valued
- If you like the sound of this position but are not sure if you are the perfect fit, please apply!
What the job involves
- Zipline’s Nest Applications Software team builds the fulfillment, maintenance, and flight systems behind automated delivery operations in Africa
- These systems manage medical inventory, order processing, flight coordination, supply-chain and financial workflows, and customer ordering and tracking
- You will own critical decisions across these connected workflows, helping operators and customers see accurate information, move orders through fulfillment, and coordinate reliable deliveries
- Your work will connect field operations, internal business teams, and customer-facing applications as the network grows
- Own end-to-end software for fulfillment, maintenance, and flight workflows that support Zipline operations in Africa
- Partner with operations, supply chain, finance, and customer-facing teams to simplify workflows and resolve high-impact user problems
- Lead backend and frontend delivery for major projects, from architecture and data models through implementation and production rollout
- Design modular distributed and event-driven systems that can adapt as operational and business needs change
- Build automated unit, integration, and system testing that protects critical inventory, order, and flight-coordination workflows
- Improve production reliability, observability, and robustness so teams can identify issues and make sound operational decisions
- Raise engineering effectiveness through code review, design standards, mentoring, and AI-assisted development, testing, and operational workflows
Our take
Zipline is reinventing how the world moves goods - one flight at a time. What started as a bold idea to deliver life-saving medical supplies by drones has grown into the world's first logistics network designed to serve everyone, everywhere. From rushing blood and vaccines to remote clinics, to dropping off everyday essentials for Walmart customers, Zipline's autonomous drones are proving that fast, reliable delivery doesn't have to be limited by roads or geography.
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. Beyond government partnerships, Zipline has its sights set on everyday consumers, preparing to launch commercial deliveries straight to individuals' houses. With its Walmart collaboration expanding and even Chipotle orders taking to the skies in Texas, Zipline isn't just redefining delivery - it's aiming to reach every corner of commerce, with a future that looks as bright as its ambitions.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
34% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 12 rounds)
Mar 2026
$200m
SERIES H
Jan 2026
$600m
SERIES H
Total funding: $2.1bn
Company HQ
South San Francisco, CA
Leadership
Keller Rinaudo Cliffton
(Co-Founder & CEO)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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