General Manager, Research Operations
Physical Intelligence
Summary
Research Operations supports the hands-on work behind our research, from collecting and evaluating data to testing and deploying our own tools and systems. The work changes quickly as our research evolves, so the team needs to be both highly organized and adaptable. The Research Operations GM leads the people and managers doing this work. They ensure teams are staffed effectively, build strong managers, and create an organization where people can perform at a high level and grow.
Job description
The Team
Research Operations supports the hands-on work behind our research, from collecting and evaluating data to testing and deploying our own tools and systems. The work changes quickly as our research evolves, so the team needs to be both highly organized and adaptable. The Research Operations GM leads the people and managers doing this work. They ensure teams are staffed effectively, build strong managers, and create an organization where people can perform at a high level and grow.
In this role you will
- Lead and develop a large operations team and its managers.
- Own staffing, performance, retention, and day-to-day operations.
- Make sure people and resources are focused on the highest-priority work.
- Build training and development programs that improve performance and prepare people for more complex research and deployment work.
- Use data to identify problems and improve quality, productivity, and how the team operates.
- Work closely with researchers and engineers to adapt the operation as their needs change.
What We Hope You'll Bring
- 7+ years leading large, high-output operations teams, ideally involving physical or hands-on work.
- Experience managing and developing managers and team leads.
- A track record of improving quality, productivity, and retention at scale.
- Strong judgment around staffing, prioritization, and performance.
- Experience building teams where strong people stay and grow.
- Comfort working in a fast-changing, technical environment.
Bonus Points
- Experience in robotics, hardware, manufacturing, logistics, or other complex physical operations.
- Experience supporting research or engineering teams.
- Experience building training and career development programs.
- Experience with data collection, eval, or deployment operations.
Requirements
- 7+ years leading large, high-output operations teams, ideally involving physical or hands-on work.
- Experience managing and developing managers and team leads.
- A track record of improving quality, productivity, and retention at scale.
- Strong judgment around staffing, prioritization, and performance.
- Experience building teams where strong people stay and grow.
- Comfort working in a fast-changing, technical environment.
Company overview
Physical Intelligence is a pioneering company at the intersection of artificial intelligence and robotics, founded in 2024 with headquarters in San Francisco, California. The company specializes in developing general-purpose AI foundation models and learning algorithms designed to power robots and physically-actuated devices across multiple industries. Their core technology focuses on creating universal robotic intelligence through advanced Vision-Language-Action (VLA) systems that enable robots to understand visual inputs, process natural language commands, and execute appropriate physical actions in real-world environments. The company's flagship π-zero (pi-zero) model represents a significant advancement in cross-embodiment learning, allowing their AI systems to generalize across different robotic platforms and applications without requiring complete retraining. With substantial backing from top-tier investors including Jeff Bezos, Thrive Capital, OpenAI, and Sequoia Capital, Physical Intelligence has rapidly emerged as a leader in the physical AI space, achieving a $2.4 billion valuation. The company employs 51-200 professionals including engineers, scientists, roboticists, and company builders who are working to bring general-purpose AI into the physical world, fundamentally transforming how robots interact with and manipulate their environments.