The posting
Physical Intelligence is bringing general-purpose AI into the physical world. We are a group of engineers, scientists, roboticists, and company builders developing learning algorithms to create a model that will control any robot to do any task.
The Team
"Props" are the physical objects that robots interact with – the items a robot manipulates, or that sit in the background of a scene – during data collection and research work. The Prop Team keeps the right objects staged, tracked, and available so that collection can run smoothly. This role leads the team's hourly staff and manages the flow of incoming prop requests across the team's areas of work, making sure each request is fulfilled reliably.
In This Role You Will
- Direct the Request Queue & Upkeep Work: Assign incoming and recurring prop requests across the shift, unblock people, and keep the queue moving so it clears within its service-level targets. Direct recurring upkeep work including central inventory management, staging stations, and labeling and QR-coding bins. Occasionally step in hands-on when the team is short-staffed or a request is time-sensitive — the exception, not the rule.
- Lead & Manage the Team: Manage a team of people across all our shifts. Run check-ins and coaching, facilitate trials for prospective new team members, manage time cards, and coordinate with the staffing vendor/agency.
- Audit & Coordinate: Audit the work of Prop Team members against the queue, coordinate with the operations leads and researchers who submit prop requests, and deliver feedback and requirements on tooling — flagging gaps as they surface.
- Maintain Cross-Shift Continuity: Review incoming shift handover notes and set priorities at the start of each shift; write the handover note for the incoming shift at the end. Vary your hours across the week (Mon–Fri) to check in with all shift teams.
- Execute the Process: Own execution of the team's concept of operations — its day-to-day process playbook. Designing and building that process is owned by the Props Program Lead.
What you'll bring
- Experience managing, scheduling, and motivating an hourly, shift-based workforce (people-management experience strongly preferred).
- A responsible, detail-oriented, organized, and high-ownership approach; comfortable operating against standard operating procedures that are still being iterated on.
- Clear communication skills, including the ability to work with researchers and the operations team when there are questions about the process.
- Comfort with directing work and managing people as the primary job, stepping into hands-on tasks only as needed.
- For an otherwise strong candidate without formal people-management experience, we would want an explicit development plan in place before hiring, so the expectations of the role are clear and the person is set up to grow into them.
Nice to have
- Experience with inventory management, staging/logistics, or physical operations.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
