Job Description
Zipline hires a Material Planner to design platforms for inventory optimization and MRP systems across African sites, ensuring components like drone parts flow efficiently for medical product deliveries via autonomous drones. This role mitigates supply risks for vaccine distributions and blood networks, directly enabling Zipline's mission to reach underserved populations in Africa.
Zipline builds and operates autonomous drone systems for instant delivery, serving Rwanda's blood network, Ghana's COVID vaccines, and U.S. healthcare, with technology in robotics and autonomy supporting a global network in 15 countries.
Planners set minimum and maximum inventory levels for Nests and warehouses, establish cycle count processes, coordinate container shipments with US teams, and partner on trade compliance using ERP tools. They use BOM data and consumption forecasts to generate plans, interacting with engineering, logistics, and regional teams via calls and meetings. One challenge is operating with limited data in emerging markets, making decisions on ramps and transitions under uncertainty to avoid supply disruptions.
Compensation reflects experience in a remote-capable position based in South San Francisco, with full-time hours supporting cross-geography coordination. Benefits include diversity-focused hiring, leadership development, and comprehensive perks like paid time off and equity, tailored to a tech company advancing equitable supply chains.
Responsibilities
- Support the design and implementation of central warehouse models in each country, ensuring efficient consolidation and material flow between Zipline distribution centers (Nests) and central facilities
- Set minimum and maximum inventory levels for central warehouses and individual Nests, monitoring and adjusting annually
- Establish and enforce robust cycle count and audit processes to ensure accuracy, data transparency, and strong operational reporting
- Collaborate with US logistics, purchasing, and planning teams to schedule and execute container shipments for site launches and ongoing operations
- Develop long-term strategies for shipment optimization, container utilization, and inventory positioning
- Partner with regional logistics teams to support trade compliance efforts, optimize freight decisions, reduce logistics costs, and navigate customs and tariff implications
- Coordinate with logistics and sourcing teams to ensure materials flow efficiently across 3PL storage, suppliers, regional warehouses and Nests
- Plan material readiness for new site launches, ensuring timelines and risk mitigation strategies are followed to support first-flight launch requirements
- Coordinate with field teams to onboard new Nests, ensuring availability of equipment, spares, and operational materials
- Drive material readiness for new product ramps by partnering with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Global Supply Management teams
- Identify supply risks early in development and guide mitigation plans to protect ramp timelines
- Support engineering release cycles, risk buys, and last-time-buy decisions during supplier transitions to ensure continuity of supply
- Lead development, implementation and continuous improvement of MRP systems connecting BOM, forecasts, and consumption data to generate purchase and production plans
- Build scalable processes, tools, and governance mechanisms that reduce manual effort, improve accuracy, and enable operational velocity across all African markets
Requirements
- 4+ years of experience in supply chain, materials management, or operations in high-complexity environments
- Demonstrated success in long-term planning, inventory optimization, and cross-functional coordination
- Hands-on experience with MRP, ERP, and/or planning tools, with strong analytical and modeling capabilities
- Experience supporting new product introductions, ramps, or hardware transitions
- Exceptional communication skills and comfort working across geographies, cultures, and time zones, especially in emerging markets
- Ability to operate with limited or imperfect data, make decisions under uncertainty, and challenge the status quo when needed
- High personal accountability, strong organizational skills, and the ability to create structure in ambiguous environments
- Self-motivated with strong learning, multi-tasking, organizational, and documentation skills