Civil Engineer Intern (Fall 2026)

About the Ground Systems Deployment Team

The Ground Systems Deployment and Construction team is responsible for turning bare ground into functional drone charging sites! We’re a broad, cross-functional team with skills across civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and construction engineering with a mandate to deliver world-class construction execution with zero issues in the first 30 days, on-time and on-budget, using scalable, cost-optimized, and serviceable designs.

The Role 

As a Civil Engineer Intern on the Ground Systems Deployment team, you will be responsible for supporting the rolling out of our site infrastructure across multiple metros and paving the way imagining how the UAS world meets the built environment - not just for Zipline but for our customers and the industry as a whole. You will be involved in identifying and designing sites in order to get permits and approvals to build new Zipline sites.

You will be working with cross-functional teams such as Real Estate & Development, Go To Market, Systems Engineering, and Tower Engineering teams in order to make sure that the site layouts developed meet all of Zipline’s engineering and municipal code requirements.

This position is based out of our headquarters in South San Francisco.

What You'll Do  

Site Selection, Feasibility & Risk:

• Perform feasibility and risk assessments for potential sites, including evaluation of environmental constraints, spatial limitations, geotechnical conditions, and constructibility considerations.
• Develop and maintain a site plan database, consolidating multiple sites and design alternatives into a structured, accessible format to support cross-disciplinary engineering and planning teams in site evaluation and decision-making.

Site Design

• Coordinate with local jurisdictions and utility providers to obtain as-built drawings, subsurface utility information, and easement documentation critical for site design and permitting.
• Evaluate site feasibility for a permit-ready and constructible Zipline site design by coordinating floodplain analysis, local code and permitting requirements, equipment maneuverability, and geotechnical investigations.

Engineering Coordination

• • Collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams—including electrical, applications, service, and construction—to develop an integrated, permit-ready site plan that addresses all design, operational, and constructibility requirements.

What You'll Bring  

• You must have completed the second year of your undergraduate studies in Civil Engineering. Master's and PhD students are also eligible.
• Proficiency in Bluebeam and drafting software such as AutoCAD or Revit.
• Excellent communications and problem solving skills.
• Bonus: Experience working with building codes and developing site plans.
• The individual will be based at Zipline’s headquarters in San Francisco, with possible travel to the DWF area in Texas.
• An open mind to help us bring Zipline’s service to new and existing customers!

What Else You Should Know

This internship is a full-time position, in-person at our South San Francisco office. We will host our Fall 2026 interns from September to December.

The hourly rate for this internship is $44 per hour. Additional benefits may include relocation support, a housing stipend, overtime pay, paid sick time, and other benefits, where applicable and subject to local requirements.

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.

Zipline is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your point of contact at Zipline know if you require any accommodations throughout your interview process.