--- title: 'Nest Lead (Distribution Center Lead), Côte d''Ivoire at Zipline' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/nest-lead-distribution-center-lead-cote-d-ivoire-zipline-abidjan-stg6197y5z24' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-13' --- # Nest Lead (Distribution Center Lead), Côte d'Ivoire at Zipline - **Company:** Zipline - **Location:** Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire - **Posted:** 2026-06-11 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-13 - **Apply:** https://www.zipline.com/open-roles/7765891003?gh_jid=7765891003 ## 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 The Nest (Distribution Center) is the heart of Zipline’s operation. As the Nest Lead, you will be responsible for driving end-to-end execution and operational excellence in Distribution Center Operations  while influencing cross-functional priorities and future growth. You’ll own operational performance, impact optimization of Zipline’s unit economics, and ensure that the nest is a model of scalable, efficient, and high-quality service delivery across the continent. You will be responsible for driving service utilization and supply integration that grows demand for your business unit. This is a high-impact role for a strong people leader and systems thinker who thrives in complex environments and is passionate about building teams, processes, and infrastructure for long-term success. Locations Cote d’Ivoire - various upcountry locations Contract Type 1 year fixed term contract. ## What You'll Do 1. Team Leadership & Development: - Be the single point of accountability for cross-functional collaboration within your operations team. - Lead, coach, inspire and drive a performance culture across a diverse team of facilities, fulfillment, flight and call center operations (where applicable), through clear goal setting  and real-time feedback. - Nurture leaders across the nest through structured training, coaching, and performance management. - Support recruitment, onboarding, and training of new team members to maintain a high-performance, cross-functional team. - Oversee shift planning, staff scheduling, and resource allocation to ensure adequate coverage across all functional areas. - Proactively design and support strategies to retain high performers (recognition programs, growth plans) 1. Nest Operational Strategy & Execution: - Translate national strategy into a roadmap for nest operations, aligned with company goals around customer success, reliability, cost and scale. - Lead multi-function operations in fulfillment, facilities, flight  and call center (where applicable) operations, ensuring alignment with global best practices, quality standards, safety requirements and customer feedback. - Forecast operational needs and build capacity (demand, people, systems, infrastructure, inventory) to meet demand growth and evolving customer requirements. - Risk identification & contingency planning: Develop risk matrices for nest operations and implement mitigation strategies. 1. Operational Performance & Optimization: - Monitor operational KPIs in real time, responding swiftly to deviations and bottlenecks. - Own and continuously improve key nest metrics: leverage data to identify performance trends, surface inefficiencies, and implement corrective and preventative actions. - Drive operational rigor and compliance through SOP adherence, standard work, and process control while adapting systems to local realities. - Pilot and implement new systems, tools, or workflows that drive scalability at nests. - Maintain high operational availability of the physical site and equipment by overseeing basic facilities management, including cleanliness, power systems, water supply, workspaces, and safety infrastructure. - Implement strategies to optimize space utilization, reduce waste, and improve storage efficiency. - Continuous improvement culture: Empower frontline teams to birth innovative ideas and improvement across nest systems, processes targeted towards customer satisfaction 1. Financial ownership - COGs and OPEX: - Take ownership of nest-level Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) and Operating Expenses (OPEX). - Make informed, data-backed decisions around spending in collaboration with procurement, facilities, and inventory management teams. - Identify cost-saving opportunities across processes, procurement, utilities, and logistics while protecting operational performance. - Lead cost control initiatives to contribute to a sustainable, healthy nest  P&L and global efficiency efforts. 1. Cross-functional Partnership & Change Leadership: - Collaborate closely with Customer Experience, Engineering, Product, Safety, and Quality teams to enable end-to-end operational efficiency. - Play a key role in scaling new initiatives (e.g., new use cases, automation pilots, expansion projects) and driving operational readiness. - Serve as a key contributor to country-wide business reviews and operational planning cycles. - Change Management Execution: Train and coach teams through operational or technology changes with clear communication What Success looks Like - The Nest operates with customer obsession, reliability, and autonomy, and proactive problem solving. - Shift teams operate with clarity, consistency, and ownership. - The entire team is empowered and accountable: operators take initiative, solve problems at the frontline, and contribute actively to continuous improvement. - Resources are optimized for maximum output. ## What You'll Bring - A strategic operator with 5-10 years of experience in supply chain, fulfillment, logistics, or operations leadership. - Operations architect: Proven track record of scaling operations, leading large teams, and delivering measurable improvements in cost, quality, and service. - Systems-oriented: You think about long-term sustainability, not just quick fixes. - Mission-driven: You care about customers & transforming systems to improve lives. - Seasoned People Leader: You have high emotional intelligence, coaching skills, and performance management experience with large, diverse team. - Data-Driven Strategist: You are a strong analytical thinker with the ability to make data-informed decisions and influence strategy. - Stakeholder Connector: Skilled at navigating large forums, engaging with government partners, and leading on the operations floor, you build strategic trust and enable alignment across cross-functional teams and key external stakeholders. - Bilingual: You are fluent in both French and English. What Else You Need to Know 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! Please Note We have received reports stating that certain individuals are reaching out to people under false pretenses, claiming to be Zipline employees, affiliates, agents, or representatives. They may seek to gain access to your personal information or to acquire money from you by offering fictitious employment opportunities or by claiming that they are contacting you on Zipline’s behalf. Genuine Zipline employees or representatives will never ask you for money or payment in exchange for employment opportunities or other related services. Any such offer of employment or any other service in exchange for fees that claims to be from us is deceitful and part of a fraud. If you believe you have been targeted by a fraudulent party, we ask that you immediately get in touch with us via email at security@flyzipline.com upon receiving a suspicious offer or claim. Voluntary Self-Identification For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file. As set forth in Zipline ’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law. ## About Zipline ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Zipline is an American robotics company that operates the world’s largest autonomous drone delivery service, transporting medical supplies, food, and retail goods across multiple continents. - **Entity Type**: Private (early-stage startup) - **Headquarters**: South San Francisco, California, United States - **Founded**: March 2014 - **Founders**: Keller Rinaudo Cliffton, Keenan Wyrobek, Ryan Oksenhorn, William Hetzler ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Logistics / Drone delivery - **Target customers**: B2B (healthcare systems, governments, retailers like Walmart and Chipotle) and B2C (home delivery via the Zipline app) - **Mission or purpose statement**: “Build the first logistics system that serves all people equally” – initially focused on saving lives by delivering blood and medicine to remote communities, now expanded to instant urban delivery. ## Products & Services - **Platform 1 (P1)**: Long-range, rural delivery drone. Carries up to 4 lbs, roundtrip range 120+ miles, cruise speed 60 mph. Uses parachute delivery. Designed for enterprise, government, and healthcare supply chains. - **Platform 2 (P2)**: Urban/suburban home delivery drone. Carries up to 8 lbs, service radius 10 miles (or 24 miles one way), cruise speed 70 mph. Delivers via a tether from up to 300 ft, allowing contactless drop-off. Launched in 2025 and used for food, retail, and health products. - **Zipping Points**: Modular ground stations that allow businesses to load orders onto drones without specialized equipment. - **FlightIQ**: Advanced onboard autonomy and perception suite for safe navigation and delivery. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available - **Key Metric**: 2 million commercial deliveries completed (as of January 2026) and 130 million autonomous miles flown.[wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zipline_(drone_delivery_company))[zipline-fact-sheet](https://www.zipline.com/about/zipline-fact-sheet) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not disclosed in available sources. Key partners include Walmart, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Crumbl, Blaze Pizza, Wendy’s, and many other restaurant brands. In healthcare, works with more than 5,000 hospitals and health centers. - **Growth Signals**: Expanded into urban home delivery in 2025 (P2) with service in Pea Ridge, Arkansas and 20+ communities in Dallas-Fort Worth. Obtained FAA authorization for beyond visual line of sight operations. Reports 56% decrease in maternal mortality and 66% decrease in missed malaria treatments in served regions.[zipline-fact-sheet](https://www.zipline.com/about/zipline-fact-sheet) ## Competitive Advantages - **Autonomous drone fleet**: One of the world’s largest commercial deployments of autonomous robots, with custom software running on Nvidia chips. - **FAA approval**: All operations and aircraft are FAA-approved, including pioneering use of Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM). - **Quieter than road vehicles**: Drones hover high and descend on a tether, generating noise lower than common neighborhood sounds. - **Extensive testing**: One of the largest aviation testing campaigns, with operations in rain, wind, and storms. - **Integrated logistics platform**: Beyond drones, Zipline provides warehousing, inventory management, cold chain storage, and fulfillment software. ## Strategic Focus - Scaling the Platform 2 urban delivery network across the U.S., particularly through partnerships with major retailers and restaurants. - Deepening healthcare impact by expanding into new countries and product categories (prescriptions, groceries, convenience items). - Continuing to reduce delivery times and environmental footprint (0 emissions per delivery, compared to automotive delivery). ## Why Work Here - **Culture values**: Ownership & Accountability, Direct Feedback & Communication, Continuous Improvement, Customer Obsession, Servant Leadership (as stated on careers page). Emphasis on “Make it matter” and mission-driven work.[careers](https://www.zipline.com/careers) - **Work environment**: Headquartered in South San Francisco with hardware and software teams. The company assembles its drones in America. Likely on-site given the hardware focus; remote/hybrid policy not explicitly stated. - **Impact**: Opportunity to work on life-saving technology (60,000+ lives saved) and shape the future of instant logistics. - **Engineering culture**: Build and iterate on autonomous systems, airspace deconfliction, and large-scale robotics deployments. ## Sources 1. [Zipline Careers](https://www.zipline.com/careers) 2. [Zipline Homepage](https://www.zipline.com/) 3. [About Zipline](https://www.zipline.com/about) 4. [Zipline Fact Sheet](https://www.zipline.com/about/zipline-fact-sheet) 5. [Wikipedia - Zipline](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zipline_(drone_delivery_company)) 6. [Greenhouse Careers Page](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/flyzipline) ## Other roles at Zipline - [Senior Software Engineer, ASW Launch Ops](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-asw-launch-ops-zipline-in-fsg2keknhmat) — IN, United States / South San Francisco California, United States - [Enterprise Account Executive](https://feeny.ai/job/enterprise-account-executive-zipline-south-san-francisco-california-9czbr5ge5983) — South San Francisco California, United States - [Strategic Partnerships Manager, Retail](https://feeny.ai/job/strategic-partnerships-manager-retail-zipline-south-san-francisco-california-119af7kdn459) — South San Francisco California, United States - [Recruiting Coordinator Intern](https://feeny.ai/job/recruiting-coordinator-intern-zipline-abidjan-rzrqqhwj6kcv) — Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire / Accra, Ghana / Kigali, Rwanda / Lagos, Nigeria - [Change Management Intern (Summer 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/change-management-intern-summer-2027-zipline-south-san-francisco-california-hrm5m2gj2ayy) — South San Francisco California, United States - [Change Management Intern (Spring 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/change-management-intern-spring-2027-zipline-south-san-francisco-california-tpfddbpmw4db) — South San Francisco California, United States - [Data Analytics Intern (Spring 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/data-analytics-intern-spring-2027-zipline-south-san-francisco-california-szns2ar0qyph) — South San Francisco California, United States - [Data Analytics Intern (Summer 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/data-analytics-intern-summer-2027-zipline-south-san-francisco-california-pag68yv5w7en) — South San Francisco California, United States - [Senior Motion Designer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-motion-designer-zipline-south-san-francisco-california-qyk0x1m8kfcm) — South San Francisco California, United States - [Cinematographer](https://feeny.ai/job/cinematographer-zipline-south-san-francisco-california-cs2rvyyg9241) — South San Francisco California, United States