A Project Manager at Zipline is responsible for orchestrating some of the most complex, high-stakes logistics and technology deployments in the world. Zipline designs, manufactures, and operates autonomous drone delivery systems that provide life-saving medical supplies, commercial goods, and critical infrastructure elements across global markets. As a Project Manager, you do not just manage timelines; you serve as the critical connective tissue between engineering, regulatory affairs, local flight operations, and global business development teams to bring these complex operations to life.

In this role, your impact is immediate and measurable. Whether you are managing the rollout of a new distribution center in an emerging market, coordinating hardware upgrades for the Zip aircraft, or aligning software deployment schedules, your work directly affects operational safety and delivery efficiency. The position requires a unique blend of technical literacy, operational grit, and executive-level communication. You will navigate high levels of ambiguity and lead cross-functional teams that do not report to you directly, ensuring that every project meets stringent safety and regulatory benchmarks.

This is not a traditional IT project management role. It is a highly dynamic position that demands hands-on problem-solving in real-world environments. You will find yourself balancing engineering constraints with local regulatory requirements, making critical decisions under tight deadlines, and maintaining a relentless focus on the mission. Successfully navigating this environment requires extreme adaptability, meticulous organization, and a passion for solving hard physical and logical problems.

To succeed in the Zipline hiring process, you must be prepared to discuss your past experience with high specificity and structured communication. The questions asked during the interview process are designed to evaluate your operational experience, project management methodology, and ability to handle unexpected challenges.

Past Program Walkthroughs

These questions evaluate your ability to manage complex, multi-phased programs from initiation to close. Interviewers want to see how you define scope, manage resources, and track deliverables.

• Walk me through a complex program you managed in the past, detailing the process and methodologies you used to ensure its success.
• Tell me about a time you had to manage a project with stakeholders spread across different global regions and time zones.

Preparing for an interview at Zipline requires a strategic approach that highlights your operational expertise and systematic project management style. You should focus on structuring your past experiences into clear, concise narratives that demonstrate your ownership and ability to deliver results under pressure.

Program Ownership & Execution – You must demonstrate that you have owned complex programs from start to finish. Be prepared to explain the specific frameworks, tools, and tracking systems you use to keep projects on schedule. Interviewers want to see that you are highly disciplined and detail-oriented.

Cross-Functional Leadership – At Zipline, you will constantly collaborate with diverse teams, including aerospace engineers, software developers, regulatory experts, and local operators. You need to show that you can build trust, resolve conflicts, and drive alignment across different functions and cultures.

Adaptability & Resilience – Operations in autonomous aviation are subject to sudden changes, from weather disruptions to shifting local regulations. You must show that you remain calm under pressure, can pivot quickly when plan A fails, and possess the grit to push projects across the finish line despite setbacks.

The interview process for a Project Manager at Zipline is designed to evaluate both your practical project management skills and your behavioral alignment with the company's operational needs. Candidates should expect a multi-stage process that tests their ability to structure ambiguous problems and present their ideas clearly to a panel of peers and leadership.

The process typically begins with an initial recruiter screening call, which focuses on your background and high-level alignment with the role. This is usually followed by a deeper technical or situational interview with the hiring manager, where you will walk through your past program management experience in detail. Successful candidates are then given a comprehensive take-home assignment that simulates a real-world project management challenge at Zipline. The final stage of the process is a panel presentation, where you will present your assignment solutions to a cross-functional group of team members and answer questions about your methodology.

The timeline above outlines the standard progression of stages from your initial application to the final offer. Candidates should use this timeline to pace their preparation, ensuring they allocate sufficient time to complete the take-home assignment and practice their presentation delivery. While the exact duration of each stage can vary based on team availability and location, the overall structure remains consistent.

To stand out in the Zipline interview process, you must excel in several key evaluation areas. Each stage of the interview is structured to assess specific competencies that are critical for success in the Project Manager role.

Program Walkthrough & Execution

This area evaluates your ability to manage complex, multi-layered initiatives from inception to delivery. Interviewers will drill down into the mechanics of how you run a project, looking for structured methodologies and metrics-driven decision-making.

Be ready to go over:

• Project Initiation and Scoping – How you define project boundaries, gather requirements, and establish clear success criteria.
• Resource and Capacity Planning – Your approach to allocating personnel, budget, and materials across competing projects.
• Risk Management – The specific frameworks you use to identify, categorize, and mitigate project risks before they impact the schedule.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Experience managing projects that involve international supply chains, hardware-in-the-loop testing, or complex regulatory compliance frameworks.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk me through the lifecycle of a program you managed where you had to coordinate both hardware manufacturing and software deployment timelines."
• "How do you establish a risk register for a project with high technical uncertainty, and how do you track those risks over time?"

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Management

As a Project Manager, you must influence without authority and maintain alignment among teams with vastly different priorities, such as fast-moving software engineers and highly structured regulatory experts.

Be ready to go over:

• Conflict Resolution – How you handle disagreements regarding project timelines, resource allocation, or technical implementation details.
• Tailored Communication – Your ability to translate complex technical concepts for business stakeholders and vice versa.
• Global Team Alignment – Strategies for keeping remote, distributed, or international teams aligned and motivated.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Navigating complex matrixed organizations where resources are shared across multiple business units.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Describe a situation where a critical engineering team refused to commit to your project timeline. How did you handle the situation and reach an agreement?"
• "How do you manage communication when presenting project delays to executive leadership versus the immediate project team?"

Take-Home Assignment & Panel Presentation

The take-home assignment is a critical component of the Zipline evaluation process. It tests your ability to take an ambiguous, real-world operational scenario and build a comprehensive, structured project plan.

Be ready to go over:

• Structured Problem Solving – Breaking down a complex operational challenge into logical phases, tasks, and milestones.
• Presentation Delivery – Communicating your plan clearly and confidently to a panel of potential coworkers and leaders.
• Handling Q&A – Defending your project decisions, assumptions, and risk mitigation strategies under questioning from the panel.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Incorporating contingency plans for geopolitical, regulatory, or extreme weather disruptions into your project timeline.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Present a launch plan for a new distribution center in a region with limited infrastructure, outlining key milestones, resource requirements, and risk mitigation strategies."
• "During the panel review, be prepared for questions like: 'Why did you prioritize milestone X over milestone Y in your project plan?'"