---
title: 'Manager, Manipulation Data Farm at Path Robotics'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/manager-manipulation-data-farm-path-robotics-columbus-4817c94gfamg'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-09'
---

# Manager, Manipulation Data Farm at Path Robotics

- **Company:** Path Robotics
- **Location:** Columbus, OH
- **Posted:** 2026-08-01
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-09
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/pathrobotics/jobs/8667121002?gh_jid=8667121002

## Job description

Build the Path Forward

At Path Robotics, we’re building the future of embodied intelligence. Our AI-driven systems enable robots to adapt, learn, and perform in the real world closing the skilled labor gap and transforming industries. We go beyond traditional methods, combining perception, reasoning, and control to deliver field-ready AI that is risk-aware, reliable, and continuously improving through real-world use.

Big, hard problems are our everyday work, and our team of intelligent, humble, and driven people make the impossible possible together.

This role is responsible for transforming data collection into a highly repeatable, measurable operation that enables rapid development of our manipulation AI systems. Our mission is to build and operate a world-class Manipulation Data Farm that delivers high-quality robotics data reliably, efficiently, and at scale.

## What You’ll Do

- Own the day-to-day operations of the Manipulation Data Farm, ensuring safe, efficient, and reliable execution of data collection activities.
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of approximately 15 Data Collection Operators, creating a high-performance culture centered on accountability, quality, and continuous improvement.
- Translate data collection requests into executable operational plans, balancing priorities, staffing, equipment availability, and delivery timelines.
- Partner closely with Machine Learning, Robotics, Software, and Product teams to understand data requirements and ensure successful project execution.
- Drive operational throughput while maintaining rigorous quality standards and meeting delivery commitments.
- Manage scheduling, staffing, equipment utilization, and materials to maximize productivity and minimize downtime.
- Monitor system health and operational readiness, proactively identifying and resolving bottlenecks before they impact delivery.
- Develop, implement, and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) including throughput, utilization, quality, cycle time, equipment uptime, and on-time delivery.
- Establish scalable quality assurance processes to ensure all datasets meet production standards before delivery.
- Own the lifecycle of data collection projects from intake through successful delivery, providing clear communication and status updates to stakeholders.
- Drive root cause analysis for operational issues and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
- Build and continuously improve standard operating procedures (SOPs), training programs, and documentation to enable scalable growth.
- Identify opportunities to automate workflows, improve tooling, and increase operational efficiency through data-driven decision making.
- Foster a culture of safety, operational excellence, and continuous learning across the organization.

## Who You Are

- Proven experience leading operations, production, or technical programs in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong people leader with experience coaching, developing, and managing high-performing teams.
- Excellent project management skills with the ability to coordinate multiple priorities simultaneously.
- Comfortable making data-driven decisions using operational metrics and performance dashboards.
- Exceptional problem solver who thrives in ambiguous environments and acts with urgency.
- Strong organizational skills with outstanding attention to detail and execution.
- Effective cross-functional communicator capable of working closely with engineering, product, and operations teams.
- Experience building or improving operational processes, SOPs, and quality systems.
- Demonstrated ability to identify operational bottlenecks and implement scalable improvements.
- Passion for building efficient systems that enable cutting-edge AI and robotics development.

## Why You’ll Love Working Here

- Daily free lunch to keep you fueled and connected with the team
- Flexible PTO so you can take the time you need, when you need it
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
- 6 weeks fully paid parental leave, plus an additional 6–8 weeks for birthing parents (12–14 weeks total)
- 401(k) retirement plan through Empower
- Generous employee referral bonuses—help us grow our team!

## Who We Are

At Path Robotics we love coming to work to solve interesting and tough challenges but also because our ideas are welcomed and valued. We encourage unique thinking and are dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process or any part of the hiring process, please contact HR@path-robotics.com. We are committed to providing equal access and will work with qualified individuals to ensure a fair and accessible hiring experience. We will respond to your request within 48 hours.

## About Path Robotics

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Path Robotics builds physical AI systems that enable autonomous robotic welding for heavy industries, addressing the critical skilled labor shortage in manufacturing.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series D, $271M total funding)
- **Headquarters**: Columbus, Ohio, United States
- **Founded**: 2014
- **Founders**: Andy Lonsberry (CEO) and Alex Lonsberry (CTO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Industrial robotics, AI-powered manufacturing automation, heavy fabrication
- **Target customers**: B2B, Enterprise — specifically heavy industry, defense, utility & energy, data center construction, and general manufacturing
- **Mission**: Create real value for customers while rebuilding the backbone of American industry by helping manufacturers navigate the skilled labor shortage.

## Products & Services
- **Intelligent Welding Cells**: Fixed robotic cells that use AI and computer vision to see, understand, and adapt to part variations in real-time, enabling autonomous welding without precision fixturing.
- **Obsidian™ AI**: A foundational AI model for welding, trained on tens of millions of welded inches, enabling real-time adaptation for high-quality welds across part-to-part variations.
- **JobBuilder**: A web-based software application launched at FABTECH 2024 that simplifies part programming, reducing the setup bottleneck and expanding the addressable market to fabricators without specialized robotics staff.
- **Path Foundry (RaaS)**: A Robotics-as-a-Service model where Path owns and operates the welding cells, charging customers for welding capacity with $0 CapEx, targeting a 30% lower cost and 4x productivity improvement.
- **Rove**: A mobile welding system mounted on a quadruped platform (announced April 2026), extending adaptive welding capabilities beyond fixed-cell applications.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: $271M total funding raised (Series D, last raised ~2 years ago)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not publicly named in available sources; the company has a Board of Directors and leadership team including a Chief Revenue Officer (Heather Carroll) and EVP of Global Operations (Mike Renn).
- **Growth Signals**: 198 employees as of March 2026; launched Path Foundry RaaS model in October 2024; launched JobBuilder at FABTECH 2024; announced Rove mobile welding system in April 2026; serves 4 key industries (Defense, Data Centers, Utility & Energy, Heavy Industry); addresses a forecasted 600k welder shortage by 2030.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Perception-driven fit-up**: The core differentiator is the ability to recognize part geometry, compensate for dimensional variation, and execute a weld without precision fixturing — a capability traditional robotic welding lacks, which requires tight part consistency.
- **Obsidian™ foundational AI model**: A purpose-built, first-of-its-kind AI model for welding trained on tens of millions of welded inches, enabling continuous learning and real-time adaptation.
- **RaaS model (Path Foundry)**: Eliminates upfront CapEx for customers, lowering adoption barriers for mid-market fabricators who cannot justify six- or seven-figure capital commitments.
- **End-to-end autonomy**: The system handles pick, fit-up, and weld in a single automated flow, with 24/7 mission control support, targeting 4x productivity improvement.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scaling the RaaS model**: Path Foundry is the primary go-to-market strategy, requiring the company to manage fleet maintenance, logistics, service-level guarantees, and asset utilization across a distributed installed base.
- **Expanding addressable geometry**: The Rove mobile platform announcement signals a push beyond fixed-cell applications into more varied and mobile welding environments.
- **Defense and critical infrastructure**: The company is actively targeting defense (shipyards, arsenals), data center construction, and utility/energy sectors as key growth verticals.
- **Reducing programming friction**: JobBuilder aims to lower the barrier to adoption for fabricators without specialized robotics staff, expanding the total addressable market.

## Why Work Here
- **Impactful mission**: The company directly addresses a critical national problem — a forecasted 600,000 welder shortage by 2030 — by building technology that keeps American manufacturing competitive.
- **Cutting-edge technology**: Work at the intersection of AI, machine learning, computer vision, and robotics, building a foundational AI model (Obsidian) trained on tens of millions of welded inches.
- **Collaborative culture**: The company emphasizes "People + Robots Together" and states that "Our people are our competitive advantage," with a focus on creating real customer value.
- **Growth trajectory**: With $271M in funding, 198 employees, and a pivot to a RaaS model, the company is in a high-growth phase with significant runway.
- **Leadership**: Founded and led by brothers Andy Lonsberry (CEO) and Alex Lonsberry (CTO), who have scaled the company from a university basement to a leading physical-AI company.
- **Work environment**: Based in Columbus, Ohio, with a focus on collaborative, passionate teams working on cutting-edge machine learning and impactful real-world problems. The careers page highlights "Impactful," "Collaborative," "AI-Powered," and "Cutting-edge machine learning" as core themes.

## Sources
1. [path-robotics.com](https://www.path-robotics.com/)
2. [path-robotics.com/careers](https://www.path-robotics.com/careers)
3. [path-robotics.com/about](https://www.path-robotics.com/about)
4. [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/path-robotics)
5. [robotics.press](https://robotics.press/news/path-robotics-company-profile/)

## Other roles at Path Robotics

- [Welding Engineer - NAVSEA Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/welding-engineer-navsea-specialist-path-robotics-los-angeles-cbdj2hzf6kj8) — Los Angeles, CA
- [IT Systems Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/it-systems-engineer-path-robotics-columbus-2jds6z5qcwj1) — Columbus, OH
- [Deployment Engineering Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/deployment-engineering-manager-path-robotics-columbus-fm00qbc71j1h) — Columbus, OH
- [Senior Graphic Designer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-graphic-designer-path-robotics-columbus-w7nq8bq5bqgn) — Columbus, OH
- [Photographer / Videographer](https://feeny.ai/job/photographer-videographer-path-robotics-columbus-y13k6v02w30m) — Columbus, OH
- [Global Supply Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/global-supply-manager-path-robotics-columbus-fgvm5pb3319h) — Columbus, OH
- [Field Installation Supervisor](https://feeny.ai/job/field-installation-supervisor-path-robotics-columbus-5tn8bqyr1d89) — Columbus, OH
- [Software Engineer, Fleet Platform](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-fleet-platform-path-robotics-columbus-4f2ybr8k5f77) — Columbus, OH
- [Real-Time Robotics Perception Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/real-time-robotics-perception-engineer-path-robotics-columbus-b5n9gn78hs04) — Columbus, OH
- [Creative Content Producer](https://feeny.ai/job/creative-content-producer-path-robotics-columbus-qrp1yp646ge7) — Columbus, OH