Contract Mechanical Simulation Engineer Jobs in California

Zipline builds autonomous aircraft that operate in demanding real-world environments where electronic systems must continue to function through vibration, shock, temperature extremes, weather exposure, manufacturing variation, and years of fleet operation. The reliability of an electronic module depends not only on its electrical design, but also on its structural integrity, thermal performance, packaging architecture, material selection, fastening strategy, and interactions with surrounding assemblies.

As a Simulation Engineer for Avionics, you will own the simulation strategy that enables robust electronic hardware from concept through production and fleet deployment. You will develop structural, thermal, and multi-physics models that predict how avionics, compute modules, sensors, communication systems, and power electronics behave throughout their operating life. Your work will directly influence architecture decisions, design margins, manufacturing approaches, and validation strategies before hardware is built.

You will work closely with Mechanical, Electrical, RF, EMC, Optical, Systems, Reliability, Manufacturing, and Test engineers. Rather than serving as a downstream analysis resource, you will help drive design decisions through first-principles engineering, high-fidelity simulation, and correlation with physical testing.

• Own the simulation strategy for electronic modules and electromechanical assemblies throughout concept development, design, validation, production ramp, and field support.
• Develop structural finite element models for electronics housings, PCB assemblies, brackets, connectors, flex circuits, fasteners, heat sinks, shields, and integrated avionics modules.
• Perform static structural analyses including contact mechanics, bolt preload, fastener retention, housing deformation, sealing interfaces, component stresses, and structural load paths.
• Perform dynamic analyses including modal, harmonic response, random vibration, shock, and fatigue to evaluate durability throughout transportation, manufacturing, and flight environments.
• Develop thermal simulations for electronics cooling using conduction, convection, and radiation to ensure components remain within operating limits during all mission phases.
• Support development of cooling architectures including blowers, ducts, heat sinks, vapor chambers, thermal interface materials, cold plates, and enclosure ventilation.
• Evaluate thermo-mechanical behavior caused by coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch across PCBAs, electronic packages, thermal interface materials, adhesives, housings, and structural interfaces.
• Predict PCB deformation, solder joint loading, package stresses, connector retention, and mechanical interactions resulting from thermal cycling and environmental loading.
• Perform coupled structural and thermal analyses to understand interactions between temperature, deformation, preload loss, contact pressure, and structural stiffness.
• Correlate simulation results with laboratory testing including strain measurements, displacement measurements, vibration testing, thermal testing, environmental qualification, and field observations.
• Build simplified analytical models and hand calculations to verify simulation assumptions and establish design intuition before developing detailed numerical models.
• Support design reviews by identifying mechanical, thermal, and reliability risks before hardware release.
• Work directly with suppliers to obtain material properties, validate manufacturing assumptions, and evaluate production variation within simulation models.
• Investigate prototype, production, and field failures using simulation, physical testing, inspection data, and root-cause analysis to identify failure mechanisms and implement corrective actions.

• Proven experience performing structural and thermal simulation of complex electromechanical or electronic systems from concept through production.
• Strong fundamentals in structural mechanics, heat transfer, materials science, fatigue, vibration, contact mechanics, and thermal expansion.
• Experience performing linear and nonlinear finite element analyses including contact, bolt preload, large deformation, and material nonlinearity.
• Experience performing modal, harmonic response, random vibration, shock, and fatigue analyses.
• Experience developing steady-state and transient thermal models for electronics cooling and thermal management.
• Strong understanding of thermo-mechanical behavior including CTE mismatch, preload retention, thermal stresses, package deformation, and material interactions.
• Experience modeling complex assemblies with realistic contacts, fasteners, compliant materials, seals, thermal interface materials, adhesives, and manufacturing variation.
• Experience using commercial simulation tools such as Abaqus, ANSYS Mechanical, Siemens Simcenter 3D/Nastran, Altair OptiStruct, COMSOL, or equivalent.
• Ability to correlate simulation predictions with laboratory testing and understand discrepancies between physical hardware and numerical models.
• Strong understanding of electronics packaging, PCB assemblies, electronic components, connectors, shielding, and mechanical integration.
• Experience developing first-principles calculations alongside numerical simulations to establish engineering confidence.
• Programming or scripting experience using Python, MATLAB, or similar tools to automate model generation, post-processing, or optimization studies.
• Clear written and verbal communication with the ability to document assumptions, validation evidence, model limitations, engineering tradeoffs, and design recommendations.
• This role is based in South San Francisco and requires regular hands-on work in the lab supporting prototype builds, testing, failure investigations, and simulation correlation.
• Periodic travel to suppliers, contract manufacturers, environmental test facilities, and qualification laboratories may be required.

Nice to Have

• Experience with optical simulations for imaging systems, sensors, illumination systems, or optomechanical assemblies using Zemax, FRED, LightTools, TracePro, or similar tools.
• Experience supporting RF hardware development through structural and thermal analyses of antenna, communication, or wireless electronic systems.
• Familiarity with electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and electromagnetic interference (EMI) principles as they relate to mechanical packaging, shielding, grounding, and enclosure design.
• Experience performing three-dimensional dimensional tolerance analysis using CETOL, 3DCS, VisVSA, or equivalent tools.
• Experience predicting PCB reliability, solder fatigue, connector durability, and electronic package reliability.
• Experience performing design optimization, topology optimization, or parametric sensitivity studies.
• Experience with high-volume consumer electronics, automotive, aerospace, robotics, or unmanned aircraft systems.

What Success Looks Like

• Structural and thermal simulations consistently predict hardware behavior with strong correlation to laboratory and environmental testing.
• Electronic modules meet structural, vibration, thermal, reliability, mass, and packaging requirements before production tooling is released.
• Simulation results drive architecture decisions early enough to eliminate costly redesigns and late-stage engineering changes.
• Mechanical, electrical, RF, and manufacturing teams use simulation as a trusted decision-making tool throughout product development.
• Structural failures, thermal issues, vibration-related failures, and field reliability problems are identified and mitigated before fleet deployment.
• Robust simulation methodologies become reusable engineering assets that improve product quality, reduce development time, and increase confidence across future vehicle generations.

The starting cash range for this role is $130,000 - $180,000. Please note that this is a target, starting cash range for a candidate who meets the minimum qualifications for this role. 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; 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!