Data Operations Lead

Relari; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Relari, a small research and engineering startup focused on teaching robots through human biomechanics, is seeking an operations-oriented professional to own end-to-end data collection processes. You will translate research needs into collection procedures, coordinate external vendors across time zones, and ensure data quality and readiness on real robotic systems.

In this full-time hybrid role, you’ll manage inventory and shipments, design simple dashboards, and collaborate with researchers

Qualifications

• Exceptional operational judgment and attention to detail across multiple workstreams.
• Experience managing vendors, distributed operations or high-reliability processes.
• Strong written communication; translate technical needs into procedures.
• Comfort across time zones and occasional travel to partners.
• Experience with structured data, dashboards, and storage systems.
• Systems mindset; identify root causes and improve end-to-end processes.

Responsibilities

• Translate research requests into collection specs, SOPs, and criteria.
• Manage day-to-day relationships with external collection vendors.
• Coordinate EMG kits, cameras, consumables, shipping, and inventory needs.
• Own data-upload completion, sampling, QA, and provenance for storage.
• Build simple dashboards and operating rhythms around throughput and cost.
• Collaborate with biomechanics, hardware, and robot-learning researchers as protocols evolve.

Skills

Vendor management

Operational leadership

Written communication

Time zone coordination

Data / analytics

Systems thinking

Tools

Dashboards

Databases

Spreadsheets

Job description

About The Role

You will own the end-to-end operation behind our scaled human-data collection. You will translate research needs into collection procedures, coordinate external data-collection partners across time zones, keep equipment and uploads moving, and ensure that accepted data meets a consistent technical standard. This is a hands-on systems role for someone who can move between people, logistics, data quality, and process design.

What You’ll Do

• Translate research requests into clear collection specifications, operating procedures, and acceptance criteria.
• Manage the day-to-day relationship with external collection vendors and close the loop on quality and throughput.
• Coordinate EMG kits, cameras, consumables, shipping, inventory, and other collection supply-chain needs.
• Own data-upload completion, sampling, QA, rejection, re-collection, provenance, and delivery into research storage.
• Build simple dashboards and operating rhythms around throughput, cost, failure modes, and dataset readiness.
• Partner with biomechanics, hardware, and robot-learning researchers as protocols and priorities evolve.

What We’re Looking For

• Exceptional operational judgment, attention to detail, and follow-through across multiple moving workstreams.
• Experience managing vendors, distributed operations, research operations, data production, logistics, or another high-reliability process.
• Strong written communication and the ability to turn technical requirements into procedures other people can follow consistently.
• Comfort working across time zones and traveling to collection or manufacturing partners when useful.
• Comfort working with structured data, spreadsheets, dashboards, storage systems, and unfamiliar technical tools.
• A systems mindset: you look for recurring causes and improve the process rather than repeatedly fixing individual mistakes.

Working at Relari

Relari is a small research and engineering startup developing new ways for robots to learn dexterous skills from human biomechanics. Our founders have AI research roots at MIT and NVIDIA, along with autonomous-vehicle and robotics deployment experience at Pony AI and Dexterity. We are backed by top investors including Y Combinator, General Catalyst, and Soma Capital. You will work directly with the founders, own problems end to end, and test your ideas on real robotic systems. This is a full-time hybrid role.