Geared toward candidates with robotics or supply chain experience comfortable with supplier execution and cost optimization.
Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.
Original posting from Physical Intelligence via Ashby
Physical Intelligence is bringing general-purpose AI into the physical world. We are a team of engineers, scientists, roboticists, and company builders developing foundation models and learning algorithms to power the robots of today and the physically-actuated devices of the future.
In this role you will own the supply chain and procurement strategy for PI's robot platforms as we scale from prototype to production. You'll build and expand a resilient global supply chain across electromechanical systems including actuators, motors, gearboxes, sensors, compute modules, PCBAs, harnessing, and structural/mechanical assemblies while partnering closely with engineering and manufacturing.
Sitting at the interface between our engineering teams and the industries that supply core technologies, you'll own sourcing strategy and supplier execution across the full robot BOM, lead the transition from in-house builds toward contract manufacturing, negotiate commercial agreements against aggressive cost and quality targets, and establish the sourcing processes, metrics, and supplier performance frameworks for a rapidly scaling robotics organization’s needs.
In this role you will
- Own sourcing strategy and supplier execution across the full robot BOM: actuators, motors, gearboxes, sensors, compute modules, PCBAs, harnessing, and mechanical / structural assemblies.
- Establish sourcing processes, supplier selection, capacity planning, dual-sourcing, and risk mitigation. Metrics, and supplier performance management frameworks appropriate for a rapidly scaling robotics organization.
- Partner closely with mechanical, electrical, firmware, and compute engineering teams to drive design for manufacturability, supply chain resilience, and cost optimization.
- Ensure material continuity across in-house and outsourced manufacturing. This includes determining order quantities and driving inventory accuracy with manufacturing and production teams.
- Develop multi-source strategies for critical and allocation-sensitive components (including high-performance compute) and proactively mitigate geopolitical and single-source risks.
- Negotiate pricing, lead times, allocation, and commercial agreements to meet aggressive cost, quality, and production targets.
- Lead the transition from prototype and in-house manufacturing toward contract manufacturing, including CM selection, qualification, onboarding, and operational scaling.
- Support NPI and production ramp activities with suppliers and manufacturing partners across Asia Pacific and other global regions.
What we hope you'll bring
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or a related field (it is okay if you have an MBA)
- 5+ years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, or supply chain management for hardware products.
- Proven track record taking hardware products from prototype through production ramp at scale and either developing a new supply chain or moving it to a new geography.
- Direct experience sourcing electromechanical components, PCBAs, and high-performance compute systems, as well as motors, actuators, gearboxes, sensors, and mechanical assemblies.
- Demonstrated success negotiating pricing, lead times, allocation, and commercial agreements to meet aggressive cost, quality, and production targets.
- Strong quantitative and analytical skills: should-cost and BOM cost modeling, spend analysis, supplier financial research, and cost / capacity scenario analysis and benchmarking.
- Strong understanding of MRP/ERP systems, inventory planning, and material continuity across in-house and outsourced manufacturing. Familiarity with NPI, DFM/DFA, and manufacturing scale-up workflows.
- Experience sourcing constrained or allocation-sensitive components (compute, motors, etc)
- Superb communication and cross-functional relationship-building; ability to influence and drive projects without direct authority.
- Comfortable operating in a fast-moving, high-ownership environment, with willingness to travel internationally (primarily Asia Pacific).
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.