Job Overview
Location
San Francisco
Job Type
Full-time
Category
Operations Manager
Date Posted
February 27, 2026
Full Job Description
📋 Description
- • As a pivotal member of OpenAI's ambitious Robotics team, you will be instrumental in shaping the future of general-purpose robotics and advancing towards AGI-level intelligence within real-world environments. This role is central to our mission of seamlessly integrating cutting-edge AI capabilities with the physical realities of robotic systems, ultimately aiming to enhance human lives.
- • You will own the critical operational and business relationships with our manufacturing partners and key suppliers. Your primary responsibility will be to ensure the reliable execution of our manufacturing processes, from initial development builds through to full-scale production ramps.
- • Serving as the primary interface to our external partners, you will be the linchpin for guiding capacity planning, ensuring materials readiness, and managing delivery commitments. Your proactive approach will be essential in keeping our ambitious build schedules on track and ensuring timely product delivery.
- • A core aspect of your role will involve driving robust partner operating cadences. This includes meticulously planning and executing build readiness reviews, conducting thorough materials checks, managing cost and capacity effectively, and leading regular Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs). The goal is to establish clear ownership, actionable steps, and consistent follow-through across all partner interactions.
- • You will be responsible for reviewing intricate schedules and material receiving ladders, providing clear and confident assessments of execution timelines and capabilities. Your ability to identify potential delays or issues early will be crucial.
- • When build blockers arise – such as material shortages, late-arriving components, or quality concerns – you will lead the charge in driving necessary escalations and ensuring swift resolution.
- • Beyond operational execution, you will also take ownership of the commercial aspects of partner management. This encompasses the development of Statements of Work (SOWs), driving contract negotiations and reviews in collaboration with our Legal team, and providing ongoing oversight of partner commitments, payment schedules, and overall performance against agreed-upon metrics.
- • You will be the key liaison between our internal Engineering, Quality, and Technical Operations teams and our external partners. Your role is to ensure seamless alignment, facilitate clear communication, and proactively remove any obstacles that could impede progress.
- • For build planning and materials readiness, you will confirm partner capacity, ensure adequate coverage for long-lead time components, validate promise dates, and verify readiness gates for program ramps. This detailed oversight is critical for successful product launches.
- • You will cultivate a deep understanding of complex Bills of Materials (BOMs) and navigate the fast-paced cycles of hardware development, with a particular focus on final assembly processes.
- • Performance management of our partners will be a key deliverable. You will utilize scorecards and readiness metrics (including delivery timeliness, quality standards, responsiveness, and overall readiness health) to monitor performance and lead corrective actions when necessary.
- • You will champion continuous improvement initiatives with our partners, focusing on enhancing yield, improving reliability, elevating documentation quality, and establishing more repeatable and robust processes.
- • This role demands a proactive and hands-on approach, requiring you to be the single point of accountability for fostering successful and productive collaborations with our key external partners.
- • The role is based in San Francisco and requires a full-time, in-person presence to effectively support and oversee the physical operations and partner interactions critical to our robotics endeavors.
- • By excelling in this role, you will directly contribute to OpenAI's mission by enabling the reliable and efficient production of cutting-edge robotics hardware, accelerating our progress towards groundbreaking AI advancements.
🎯 Requirements
- • Proven experience owning end-to-end relationships with manufacturing partners (CM/JDM/ODM) and critical suppliers, demonstrating success in driving materials readiness against complex build plans and production ramps.
- • Demonstrated ability to effectively run partner operating cadences, including readiness reviews, issue triage, and QBRs, ensuring clear ownership, actionable outcomes, and consistent follow-through.
- • Strong analytical skills to assess build schedules and material receiving ladders, confidently forecast on-time delivery, and rapidly implement gap-closing strategies.
- • Experience leading cross-functional escalations for critical issues such as material shortages, late component deliveries, and quality escapes, effectively coordinating efforts across Engineering, Quality, and Technical Operations teams.
- • Proficiency in managing the commercial aspects of partner relationships, including SOW development, contract coordination with legal counsel, and oversight of ongoing business operations and commitments.
- • Familiarity with complex Bills of Materials (BOMs) and experience navigating fast-paced hardware development cycles, ideally with a focus on final assembly processes.
🏖️ Benefits
- • Competitive salary and equity compensation package.
- • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
- • Generous paid time off and holidays.
- • Opportunities for professional development and continuous learning.
- • Collaborative and innovative work environment with a focus on cutting-edge AI research and development.
Skills & Technologies
Onsite
About OpenAI, Inc.
OpenAI is a San Francisco-based artificial intelligence research and deployment company founded in 2015. It develops large-scale AI models such as GPT, DALL-E, and Codex, providing cloud APIs and consumer applications like ChatGPT. Originally established as a non-profit, it later created a capped-profit subsidiary to attract capital while maintaining its mission to ensure artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.
