Supply Chain Lead, Robotics

About the Team

Our Robotics team is focused on unlocking general-purpose robotics and pushing towards AGI-level intelligence in dynamic, real-world settings. Working across the entire model stack, we integrate cutting-edge hardware and software to explore a broad range of robotic form factors. We strive to seamlessly blend high-level AI capabilities with the constraints of physical systems to improve peoples’ lives.

About the Role

We are seeking a Founding Supply Chain Integration Manager with deep experience in domestic and international production ecosystems, design for manufacturability, and long-term scaling strategy. You’ll work closely with our engineering team to translate first-of-a-kind designs into manufacturable, scalable realities. You will operate as a highly capable individual contributor, fluent in building supplier relationships, negotiating contracts, and solving day-to-day problems, while also advising on how to structure and grow our supply chain function as the organization scales.

This role is based in San Francisco, CA, and requires in-person 5 days a week.

In this role you will:

• Lead supply chain development for first-of-a-kind hardware components, focusing on domestic and international manufacturing partners across precision machining, electromechanical assembly, and rapid prototyping. You will play a key role in growing and developing the capabilities and scale of these partners to meet evolving program needs

• Create and implement a long-term manufacturing strategy that aligns sourcing, capacity planning, and risk mitigation with OpenAI’s broader product roadmap

• Partner closely with design and engineering teams to improve manufacturability, reduce cost, and streamline production workflows from early-stage prototyping to scaled production

• Establish and manage a high quality network of suppliers and contract manufacturers, building strong relationships with vendors and manufacturing partners

• Operate as a hands-on contributor by placing POs, expediting parts, resolving quality issues, and developing frameworks and best practices for how the supply chain should evolve over time

• Contribute to and advise on organizational scaling plans for the supply chain and operations functions, including tooling, systems, and hiring as the team grows

• Own performance metrics for cost, lead time, and supplier quality, and continuously drive process improvements

You might thrive in this role if you:

• Have deep experience with domestic manufacturing ecosystems and a strong network of trusted U.S. vendors and partners

• Have led or supported design for manufacturability (DFM) efforts across multiple hardware programs from R&D through production

• Possess general engineering knowledge to support the sourcing of technical components

• Can independently manage complex supply chain processes but are also capable of building scalable systems and advising leadership on org design

• Communicate clearly and effectively across a range of technical and non-technical audiences

Bonus if you have:

• Experience in advanced industries such as robotics, aerospace, energy systems, or similar sectors

• Familiarity with ERP system implementation or process automation for hardware supply chains

• A history of working with engineering teams to bring products from prototype to production, especially under aggressive timelines and evolving requirements

About OpenAI

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We push the boundaries of the capabilities of AI systems and seek to safely deploy them to the world through our products. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core, and to achieve our mission, we must encompass and value the many different perspectives, voices, and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity. 

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic.

For additional information, please see OpenAI’s Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable law, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act. For unincorporated Los Angeles County workers: we reasonably believe that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship with the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: protect computer hardware entrusted to you from theft, loss or damage; return all computer hardware in your possession (including the data contained therein) upon termination of employment or end of assignment; and maintain the confidentiality of proprietary, confidential, and non-public information. In addition, job duties require access to secure and protected information technology systems and related data security obligations.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made via this link.

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At OpenAI, we believe artificial intelligence has the potential to help people solve immense global challenges, and we want the upside of AI to be widely shared. Join us in shaping the future of technology.