Operations Manager

About the company

Our client is a Physical AI company making industrial machines, including forklifts and heavy equipment, autonomous. Its technology helps logistics operators improve productivity, safety, and sustainability across real-world industrial sites. The company is expanding its US operations from the ground up, creating the playbooks for autonomous equipment to move from deployment into reliable day-to-day use.

The role / why it matters

As Operations Manager, you will build and lead the company's first US operational team. You will own post-deployment performance across customer sites and establish the people, processes, and operating routines needed to scale from initial machines to larger deployments.

What you'll do

• Own daily operating performance at live customer sites, tracking KPIs, SLAs, uptime, safety, and service quality.

• Recruit, onboard, train, and manage US operators, including shift structures, workforce plans, and coaching on autonomous industrial machines.

• Scale deployments within customer accounts from one or two machines to 30 or more while maintaining consistent operating standards.

• Visit customer sites to support operations and build strong working relationships with customer teams.

• Establish the Austin operating base, including local infrastructure, suppliers, equipment, and operating routines.

• Bring field feedback to company leadership and help translate operating needs into improvements.

What we're looking for

• Five to ten years of operations experience in an industrial setting.

• Experience operating or deploying emerging technology in robotics, autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, drones, or related physical environments.

• A track record of recruiting, managing, or training operational teams, including shift-based teams or equipment operators.

• Hands-on comfort working directly with machinery, operators, and customer teams at field sites.

• Experience launching a product, site, or operating function in a new or rapidly changing environment.

• Ability to work from Austin, Texas, and travel to customer sites, including trips of up to three weeks at a time.

Bonus points

• Experience moving a fleet from manual operations to autonomous operations.

• Experience launching site operations for autonomous vehicles, warehouse robotics, or other industrial robotics deployments.

Compensation and benefits

The base salary range is $150,000 to $180,000, with competitive equity and stock options.

Location / work model

This is a hybrid role based in Austin, Texas, with two to three days per week in the office and warehouse when not traveling. Customer-site travel is approximately 40% of the time, with trips of up to three weeks at a stretch. Visa sponsorship is not available.