Shift Lead

Physical Intelligence · AI Frontier · San Francisco, CA · Operations

This role is a Shift Lead for the Operations team at Physical Intelligence, focusing on the day-to-day execution of robot data collection and production at their San Francisco facility. The responsibilities include leading onsite floor operations, managing and developing a team of operators, ensuring data collection quality, communicating with cross-functional teams (research, hardware, software), and enforcing safety protocols. The ideal candidate has experience in tech operations or manufacturing, preferably in robotics, and has proven team management skills.

What you'd actually do

Provide daily boots-on-the-ground leadership to drive data collection, verify availability of stations, props, and staffing, and ensure production continues smoothly during disruptions or staffing gaps. Lead and coordinate operators by assigning work and adjusting resources in real-time based on priorities and constraints.
Supervise, train, and develop operators, ensuring adherence to work standards. Provide ongoing coaching and feedback, treat operators fairly and professionally, and act as a liaison by bringing operator concerns to management’s attention.
Own factory throughput and data quality for your team; identify deviations from standard work, take immediate corrective action, and ensure all defects are properly documented and escalated.
Act as the primary on-site point of contact for your team, maintaining a tight feedback loop between research, hardware, software, and floor operations. Proactively communicate status, technical blockers, hardware failures, and process bottlenecks. Maintain highly accurate shift handoff notes.
Enforce PPE compliance and safe work practices on the floor. Proactively identify, help resolve, and report unsafe conditions.

Skills

Required

Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field, Operations, or similar or equivalent practical experience
3–5 years of experience in tech operations, manufacturing, or related fast-paced physical environments
2+ years of proven experience managing, scheduling, and motivating a team of hourly, shift-based workers
Detail-oriented and comfortable using operational dashboards
Ability to quickly learn proprietary robotics software interfaces
Clear, direct communicator who can translate operational gaps into structured feedback for technical teams
Outstanding collaboration skills in cross-functional environments
Excellent problem-solving abilities under pressure with a high bias for action
Demonstrated history of removing operational blockers in real-time
Comfortable with ambiguity and changing priorities
Able to manage multiple competing priorities with limited resources
Adept at tracking KPIs and using metrics to inform operator performance management and workflow adjustments
Safety-focused, detail-oriented, and quality-driven

Nice to have

Experience in robotics or related fields

What the JD emphasized

robotics, autonomous vehicles, or other frontier hardware-AI integration sectors

Read full job description

The Team

The Operations team drives the day-to-day execution of robot data collection and production at our San Francisco facility, partnering closely with research, hardware, and software teams to support our mission of bringing general-purpose AI into the physical world.

In This Role You Will

**- Onsite Floor Operations: **Provide daily boots-on-the-ground leadership to drive data collection, verify availability of stations, props, and staffing, and ensure production continues smoothly during disruptions or staffing gaps. Lead and coordinate operators by assigning work and adjusting resources in real-time based on priorities and constraints.

**- Team Leadership & People Development: **Supervise, train, and develop operators, ensuring adherence to work standards. Provide ongoing coaching and feedback, treat operators fairly and professionally, and act as a liaison by bringing operator concerns to management’s attention.

**- Data Collection and Quality: **Own factory throughput and data quality for your team; identify deviations from standard work, take immediate corrective action, and ensure all defects are properly documented and escalated.

**- Cross-Functional Communication & Reporting: **Act as the primary on-site point of contact for your team, maintaining a tight feedback loop between research, hardware, software, and floor operations. Proactively communicate status, technical blockers, hardware failures, and process bottlenecks. Maintain highly accurate shift handoff notes.

**- Safety & Continuous Improvement: **Enforce PPE compliance and safe work practices on the floor. Proactively identify, help resolve, and report unsafe conditions.

What We Hope You’ll Bring

Hold a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field, Operations, or similar or equivalent practical experience.
3–5 years of experience in tech operations, manufacturing, or related fast-paced physical environments — ideally in robotics, autonomous vehicles, or other frontier hardware-AI integration sectors.
2+ years of proven experience managing, scheduling, and motivating a team of hourly, shift-based workers.
Detail-oriented and comfortable using operational dashboards; ability to quickly learn proprietary robotics software interfaces.
Clear, direct communicator who can translate operational gaps into structured feedback for technical teams; outstanding collaboration skills in cross-functional environments.
Excellent problem-solving abilities under pressure with a high bias for action and a demonstrated history of removing operational blockers in real-time.
Comfortable with ambiguity and changing priorities; able to manage multiple competing priorities with limited resources.
Adept at tracking KPIs and using metrics to inform operator performance management and workflow adjustments.
Safety-focused, detail-oriented, and quality-driven.

Bonus Points

Experience in robotics or related fields.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.