Lab Operations Specialist

THE ROLE You'll build and run the physical operations layer of the company: how material comes in, how it gets tracked, how it reaches the engineer who needs it, and how finished robots get out the door and to a customer in one piece. Today that means inventing the system. Later it means running and scaling it. This is a hands-on job. You'll be on the floor, in the lab, and on the loading dock. WHAT YOU'LL DO Inventory and materials - Design and run our inventory system end to end — part numbering, bin and location scheme, receiving, put-away, cycle counts - Own inventory accuracy across labs, warehouses, and set the accuracy targets we hold ourselves to - Kit parts for robot builds and get them to the right bench at the right time - Manage consumables and reorder points: fasteners, cabling, adhesives, PPE, ESD supplies - Track tools and lab equipment, including calibration schedules and preventative maintenance Lab operations - Set and enforce lab organization standards — labeled storage, bench discipline, 5S, clean-as-you-go - Own ESD compliance and lab safety practices - Handle battery and hazmat storage in line with our lithium-ion safety requirements - Support lab buildouts: new benches, test stations, equipment installs Customer shipping - Own outbound robot shipments end to end, domestic and international - Design and source crating and packaging — shock mounting, tip and impact indicators, reusable vs. one-way - Manage freight forwarders and carriers; quote and book LTL, FTL, and air freight; select Incoterms - Prepare export documentation: commercial invoices, packing lists, HS classification, certificates of origin - Maintain serial-number-level tracking and as-shipped configuration records for every unit - Handle cargo insurance and damage claims - Coordinate inbound and outbound with our Seoul office WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR - 3+ years in hardware lab operations, materials management, or logistics at a hardware, robotics, or capital equipment company - Direct experience with inbound and outbound logistics, including international shipments - You've built or meaningfully improved an inventory system, not just operated one someone else designed - Comfortable around engineering hardware — you can read a BOM, understand why a part revision matters, and handle prototypes without damaging them - High bar for organization and accuracy, and willing to hold other people to it - Able to lift 50 lbs and be on your feet for much of the day STRONG PLUSES - Current hazmat / dangerous goods certification for lithium batteries (49 CFR ground, IATA DGR air). If you don't have it, we'll certify you — but someone here needs it before our first unit ships. - Experience shipping capital equipment internationally: semiconductor tooling, medical imaging, industrial automation, or similar - Export compliance background — ECCN classification, restricted party screening, license determination - Forklift certification - Experience at a company that scaled from prototype builds to customer shipments