Enterprise Systems Software Engineer Intern (Fall 2026)

About the Enterprise Systems Team

We’re building the systems that power Zipline operations end-to-end, giving us the ability to design faster, smarter workflows, connect data across the business, and remove the friction that slows teams down.  The Enterprise Systems team builds the software that connects manufacturing, supply chain, finance, inventory, hardware quality assurance, and field operations into a single operational nervous system. These systems directly shape how quickly and effectively Zipline can manufacture, test, deploy, and operate our global drone fleet.

Most companies adapt their operations to fit off-the-shelf enterprise software. At Zipline, we’re building our systems ourselves so the software can evolve with the business. Our philosophy is simple: business processes should inform system design, not the other way around. By owning these systems ourselves, we can rapidly iterate on workflows, automate complex operations, and continuously improve how the company operates as we scale.

Engineers on this team own the product and work directly with the end users who rely on these systems every day, from manufacturing and supply chain teams to field operators running our delivery network. This proximity to real operations allows engineers to identify problems first-hand, design and build solutions end-to-end, and deliver systems that have immediate impact across the company.

The Role 

Enterprise Systems at Zipline sits at the intersection of software and real-world operations. The systems this team builds determine how efficiently we manufacture aircraft, move inventory, maintain traceability, deploy assets, and support a growing global delivery network.

• Build ERP from scratch. You’ll design and build the core systems that power Zipline, instead of configuring third-party systems.
• Extreme ownership. Engineers own problems end-to-end: identifying operational pain points, designing solutions, building systems, deploying them to production, and driving adoption across the business.
• Embedded with real operations. Engineers work directly with manufacturing, supply chain, finance, and field operations teams to understand workflows firsthand and build systems that solve real problems.
• AI-accelerated engineering. We lean heavily into AI and agentic workflows, taking advantage of the latest capabilities to accelerate development. Engineers effectively leverage and orchestrate AI tooling to increase velocity, quality, and throughput while maintaining strong engineering rigor.

What You'll Do  

• Build and ship full-stack features for internal systems used across Zipline’s operations.
• Work with engineers, product stakeholders, and end users to understand operational workflows and translate them into software solutions.
• Contribute to tools that enable Zipline to manufacture, source, scale, and operate its global drone fleet.
• Help improve data models, APIs, services, and user interfaces that connect business processes across Zipline.
• Use modern engineering practices, including code review, testing, observability, and AI-assisted development workflows.
• Learn how to design software for real-world operational reliability, maintainability, and scale.
• Present your work and the impact it had on the team at the end of the internship.

What You'll Bring  

• You must have completed the second year of your undergraduate studies in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field. Masters and PhD students are also eligible.
• Experience building software through previous internships, research, personal projects, open source, or student organizations.
• Strong programming fundamentals in at least one general-purpose language used by our team such as Python, Go, React, or TypeScript.
• Interest in full-stack software development, including backend services, data models, APIs, and user-facing tools.
• Excitement about using modern AI tooling to amplify your productivity while maintaining high standards for system design and code quality.
• Ability to break down ambiguous problems, ask good questions, and learn from feedback.
• Interest in working directly with end users to understand how software supports real-world operations.
• Ability to work full-time and onsite in South San Francisco for the duration of the Fall 2026 internship.

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 $54 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.