Job Description
About Zipline
Zipline is the world’s largest and most experienced drone delivery service. We are on a mission to serve all humans equally by ensuring access to food, medicine and essential goods anytime, anywhere. We design, build, and operate the world’s largest autonomous logistics system, delivering critical supplies quickly and reliably. Today, Zipline operates on four continents, makes a delivery somewhere in the world every 30 seconds, and has completed millions of deliveries to date, including blood, vaccines, medical supplies, food, and retail products.
Our customers include the world’s largest and most prominent healthcare systems, governments, retailers, restaurants and global businesses who rely on us to save lives, reduce emissions, increase economic opportunity, and provide delivery from point A to point B as fast as possible. The drone is only 15% of what we’ve built to enable seamless, reliable, global operations.
Our system strengthens supply chains, reduces congestion, and gives people time back. With more than 140 million commercial autonomous miles safely flown, Zipline is redefining access to healthcare, consumer products, and food across the globe.
We operate at a global scale and are looking for practical problem solvers who thrive on real-world challenges and rapid growth. Our team is motivated by building systems that have a direct, meaningful impact on people’s lives and by scaling the future of logistics. We are seeking people who sculpt from first principles, enjoy facing adversity, and can do the impossible at record breaking speeds.
About You and The Role
Zipline’s Nest Applications Software team builds and manages the fulfillment, maintenance and flight systems that power our operations in Africa. We are responsible for the software that manages medical inventory, order processing, and flight coordination for automated delivery at scale. Our work spans internal platforms that streamline supply chain, and financial workflows, as well as external-facing applications that allow customers to place and track orders. By connecting every corner of the business through software, we ensure Zipline can operate efficiently, intelligently, and globally.
What You’ll Do
- Deep dive into your users’ problems to simplify operational workflows which enable the business to move efficiently
- Architect simple, modular, flexible software systems that evolve with fast changing business needs.
- Lead backend and frontend development of major projects across all aspects of a modern tech stack.
- Establish strong automated testing practices across unit, integration, and system layers.
- Improve reliability, observability, and operational robustness of production systems.
- Systematize AI-assisted workflows across development, testing, and operations.
- Maintain clear engineering patterns, code quality standards, and review discipline.
- Mentor junior engineers through direct coaching, pairing, and design reviews.
- Increase team throughput by reducing friction, simplifying architecture, and eliminating waste.
What You’ll Bring
- 8+ years building and operating production-grade distributed systems.
- Deep experience developing full stack software using Python, Go, or a similar object-oriented language.
- Frontend experience using React or similar Javascript frameworks.
- Experience architecting distributed and event-driven systems using Kafka or similar technologies.
- Database modeling and performance tuning experience with Postgres.
- Demonstrated history of designing systems that are simple, flexible, and resilient.
- Proven implementation of comprehensive automated testing strategies.
- Experience driving architectural decisions in fast-changing environments.
- Track record of mentoring and growing junior engineers.
Nice to Haves
- Experience building modern fulfillment, logistics, or warehouse systems.
- Willingness to spend significant time in Kigali, Rwanda, via travel or relocation.
- Production experience with Kubernetes and AWS.
What Else You Need to Know
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; overtime pay; 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, ancestry, national origin, religion or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, or other characteristics protected by state, federal or local law or our other policies.
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!
