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OpenAI's Robotics team is building general-purpose robots and advancing toward AGI-level intelligence in real-world environments. As a Technical Commodity Manager, you'll be the supply chain architect for this hardware-intensive effort, bridging engineering innovation with manufacturing reality.
You'll own the full lifecycle of component sourcing and supplier management: starting with R&D-phase vendor qualification and rapid prototyping, evolving into new product introduction (NPI) with design-for-manufacturability feedback, and scaling into high-volume production partnerships. This is not a mature supply chain role—you're building the operating system from scratch, establishing processes, tools, and vendor scorecards as the organization grows.
Key responsibilities include partnering directly with engineering to source components and turn around quotes/samples quickly; building supplier relationships across categories like precision machining, EMS/PCBA, electrical components, and contract manufacturing; evaluating incomplete data to make sound sourcing decisions; working cross-functionally with legal, finance, and leadership to remove roadblocks; and flagging supply risks early (single-source dependencies, long-lead items, supplier quality issues) with practical mitigation plans.
Success means becoming the responsive, agile partner engineers rely on; building deep knowledge of critical commodities, suppliers, and cost drivers; establishing a lightweight but reliable supply chain operating system; and operating with independence—making sound calls with incomplete information and consistently bringing solutions rather than just problems.
The role requires a solid foundation in strategic sourcing, supplier management, and hardware manufacturing, though extensive tenure is not required. You should be comfortable reasoning from first principles, quickly developing expertise in new commodities, and thriving in ambiguity. A bachelor's degree in engineering or equivalent hands-on experience with technical hardware, components, and manufacturing processes is expected. Some exposure to hardware supply chain is required; deep specialization in any one area is a plus but not a prerequisite.
Based in San Francisco with 4 days/week in-office and up to 30% travel to vendor sites.
