Motor Control Firmware Intern (Summer 2026)

About Zipline

Zipline is transforming logistics. Our autonomous delivery drones create the first instant logistics system that serves everyone equally—from critical medical supplies to urgent spare parts.

About the Motor Control Firmware Team

We write high-performance firmware for every motor designed in-house: propulsion motors, winch and servos. We design, analyse and test algorithms for control, state estimation, diagnostics and operation, working side-by-side with electrical, mechanical and vehicle-dynamics engineers.

What you’ll do

• Bare-metal firmware development in C/C++ for hard real-time systems
• Fleet-wide hardware performance analysis
• Own a capstone project that adds a new capability to our motors (e.g. propeller-break detection, thermal return-to-dock logic, slew-rate limiting)
• Take ideas from design and simulation through bench test, flight test and fleet rollout

What you’ll bring

• Strong interest in motor firmware and controls
• Prior experience (internship, student team) in C/C++
• Excellent grades in mechanics and electromagnetics
• Available to work on-site 5 days/week in South San Francisco
• Preferably rising seniors

Program details

Full-time, in-person internship in South San Francisco or Dallas, May/June – August 2026. Compensation: $38–42/hr gross (≈ $6,600–7,300/month) plus housing stipend, relocation support and paid sick time.