Strategic Project Lead, Robotics

About the role

ABOUT THE ROLE Silicon Valley’s leading AI companies partner with us to scale high-quality data operations. As an SPL on robotics, you will: - Realize the data requests of robotics AI lab customers - Drive the tactical execution of data collection across a growing network of commercial partner businesses. - Own the throughput, quality, and coverage of what those sites produce, and hit supply targets against a demanding forecast. - Build deep client relationships with researchers at top AI labs. - Ensure flawless operational execution under demanding timelines. This is a hands-on operations role for candidates excited by process optimization, rapid iteration, and high-intensity problem solving. We're an early-stage startup that operates with intensity. That means occasionally being responsive on weekends and always holding a high bar for output. The upside — performance incentives, career trajectory, and meaningful equity — reflects that. WHAT YOU'LL DO OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE - Design and manage the end-to-end collection pipeline, from site onboarding through capture, quality review, and delivery-ready data - Diagnose bottlenecks, restructure workflows, and implement solutions that improve quality, throughput, and cost-efficiency - Examples include: creating incentive systems, re-sequencing workflows, refining capture instructions, and scaling review processes CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS - Act as the primary point of contact for research teams at leading AI labs. - Deliver clear, consistent reporting and proactively anticipate client needs. - Build long-term trust and identify opportunities for expansion. QUALITY REPORTING - Own coverage requirements: environment diversity, tasks, and geographies a dataset needs based on client requests - Find and close the supply gap between dataset requirements and what the current network actually produces, working with growth on where to add commercial partners - Run daily internal syncs (“war rooms”) to stay ahead of issues - Provide regular, transparent progress updates to customer-facing roles WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR - Experience: Background in consulting, private equity, startups, or other operationally intense environments - Skills: Strong analytical and communication abilities; proven track record of managing complex projects - Mindset: Excited by “gritty” process optimization and large-scale execution - Comfortable operating without a playbook in a new org or startup environment NICE TO HAVE - Experience in physical operations, supply chain, logistics, manufacturing planning, or marketplace supply - Experience managing or supporting a distributed workforce, franchise network, or multi-site business - Experience with annotation, labeling, or training-data operations - Marketplace supply-side experience, particularly where supply had physical constraints - Experience in robotics or physical AI