---
title: 'Supply Chain Engineer at Human Computer Lab'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/supply-chain-engineer-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-q0nk1qctstc9'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-04'
---

# Supply Chain Engineer at Human Computer Lab

- **Company:** Human Computer Lab
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-07-31
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-04
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/human-computer-lab/9f58816d-e4b0-4208-aef0-fd7b81cc3dda

## Job description

Human Computer Lab is a research lab building character robots that feel alive and responsive. Our first robot, LeLamp, explores a new category of consumer robotics where everyday objects become interactive and help us reshape our attachment to technology.

Our goal is to push the frontier of human-robot interaction by making technology more legible, emotionally intuitive, and human-centered. We are building the foundation for a new generation of robots designed for everyday environments.

## WHAT TO EXPECT

We're looking for a hands-on supply chain engineer to help build and scale the sourcing, procurement, and manufacturing pipeline that gets LeLamp from prototype to production. You'll work at the intersection of engineering and operations — evaluating suppliers, managing BOM cost and lead-time risk, and partnering with contract manufacturers to turn designs into build-ready hardware. This role requires close collaboration with electrical and mechanical engineering to make sourcing and manufacturability decisions in real time, not after the fact. You'll work closely with the CEO and founding team to build the supply chain function from the ground up as the company scales from small-batch builds to larger production runs.

In this role, you will:

- Source, qualify, and manage relationships with component suppliers, distributors, and contract manufacturers (CMs).
- Own BOM cost, lead-time, and availability tracking across mechanical and electrical subsystems.
- Partner with EE/ME teams on design-for-manufacturability (DFM) and design-for-assembly (DFA) reviews.
- Manage procurement and purchase orders, balancing cost, lead time, and inventory risk for a fast-moving startup.
- Identify and mitigate component obsolescence and single-source risk across the BOM.
- Coordinate with overseas and domestic manufacturing partners (PCBA, injection molding, CNC, sheet metal) on quoting, tooling, and production timelines.
- Support incoming quality inspection and work with suppliers to resolve nonconformances.
- Track and forecast inventory needs as build volumes scale from prototype to pilot to production.
- Help build and refine internal processes (PO workflows, supplier scorecards, inventory systems) as the team grows.
- Risk Management: assess supply chain contingencies, if we run out of raw materials, what are the back up plans in place, how can we ensure reliability.
- QC experience: ensure the raw materials and production process is up to product standards, ensuring high quality supplier relations.

You may be a good fit if you:

- Are pursuing or hold a degree in Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, or a related field — or have equivalent hands-on experience.
- Have experience sourcing electrical or mechanical components (personal projects, coursework, prior internships, or professional experience all count).
- Are comfortable reading BOMs, schematics, and mechanical drawings well enough to have informed sourcing conversations with engineers and suppliers.
- Communicate clearly with suppliers and internal teams, and document decisions and trade-offs.
- Have some exposure to contract manufacturing, PCBA assembly, or hardware production workflows.
- Are comfortable working in ambiguous, fast-changing environments where processes are still being built.

You will be a strong fit, if you:

- Have hands-on experience working directly with suppliers or CMs (quoting, negotiating, expediting, resolving issues).
- Understand the cost and lead-time trade-offs behind component selection, and can push back on engineering choices when it matters.
- Have worked with international manufacturing partners (for example, China-based PCBA, mechanical, or plastics vendors) and understand the logistics and import considerations involved.
- Move quickly through iteration cycles and don't wait for perfect information to make progress.
- Take ownership over your work end to end, from sourcing decision to parts arriving on the bench ready to build.
- Work well in small, collaborative teams where supply chain, electrical, and mechanical are in constant conversation.
- Care about what the supply chain enables: getting expressive, reliable hardware into people's hands faster.

The early team becomes the DNA of the company. We set ourselves and others to a high standard, and we respond with kindness when things get hard but keep everyone accountable. This requires us to be curious, creative, and diverse in our thinking and approach.

We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and consider all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Even if you don’t meet every single requirement, we encourage you to apply. Studies show that women and underrepresented groups often hold back unless they meet 100% of the criteria - we don’t want that to be the reason we miss out on great talent.

## About Human Computer Lab

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Human Computer Lab is a research and experimentation lab focused on researching and building expressive robots that reshape human attachment to technology.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Pre-seed stage)
- **Headquarters**: Newark, Delaware, United States (with presence in Canada)
- **Founded**: Not publicly available
- **Founders**: Shahvir Sarkary (Founder, CEO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Robotics, Human-Computer Interaction, Research Services
- **Target customers**: B2C (early adopters, hobbyists, artists, roboticists) and potentially B2B (research partners)
- **Mission or purpose statement**: "Human–computer research and experimentation lab, focused on researching and building expressive robots."

## Products & Services
- **[LeLamp](https://www.lelamp.com/)**: An emotional and expressive robot designed to reshape human attachment to technology. Pre-orders are currently open. The product aims to make building a robot feel like assembling IKEA furniture.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total Funding – Pre-seed round led by FR8 and South Park Commons (announced September 2025)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: FR8, South Park Commons
- **Growth Signals**: Active hiring for multiple roles (Controls Engineer, ML Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Interns); growing social media presence and hosting community events (Demo Faires, artist-roboticist collectives); monthly LinkedIn follower growth of ~7.8%

## Competitive Advantages
- **Unique focus on emotional expressiveness**: LeLamp is positioned as a robot that conveys emotion and personality, differentiating it from utilitarian or industrial robots.
- **Research-driven approach**: The lab conducts human-computer research to inform robot design, blending art and engineering.
- **Accessibility ethos**: They aim to make robot building as simple as assembling IKEA furniture, lowering the barrier for entry.

## Strategic Focus
- **Current priorities**: Scaling LeLamp from pilot to production; building a community around expressive robotics; expanding the team with engineering and growth talent.
- **Direction for growth**: Continued research into springiness, damping, and life-like movement; hosting events to foster a collective of artists and roboticists.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture highlights**: Small, tight-knit team (5–6 employees) with a strong emphasis on creativity, experimentation, and joy in building robots. The lab hosts science-fair style Demo Faires and encourages cross-disciplinary collaboration.
- **Remote/hybrid/office policy**: Hybrid workspace – employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work. Offices in Newark, Delaware (US) and likely Toronto (Canada).
- **Notable perks or engineering culture**: Hands-on work with expressive robotics, opportunity to shape early product direction, exposure to cutting-edge HCI research, and a culture that values “taste” and wholesome robot interactions.

## Sources
1. [humancomputerlab.com](https://www.humancomputerlab.com/)
2. [jobs.ashbyhq.com/human-computer-lab](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/human-computer-lab)
3. [builtin.com/company/human-computer-lab](https://builtin.com/company/human-computer-lab)
4. [linkedin.com/company/humancomputerlab](https://www.linkedin.com/company/humancomputerlab)
5. [research.humancomputerlab.com](https://research.humancomputerlab.com/)

## Other roles at Human Computer Lab

- [Intern - Industrial Designer](https://feeny.ai/job/intern-industrial-designer-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-sah410f831c9) — San Francisco, CA
- [Intern - Animator and Rigging Artist](https://feeny.ai/job/intern-animator-and-rigging-artist-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-1f9hfxwggdaj) — San Francisco, CA
- [Character Artist](https://feeny.ai/job/character-artist-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-26j4s69r8bva) — San Francisco, CA
- [Perception Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/perception-engineer-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-4cbh6w64pvp5) — San Francisco, CA
- [Intern - Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/intern-mechanical-engineer-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-4dq9hpk53nre) — San Francisco, CA
- [Intern - Controls Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/intern-controls-engineer-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-w4wm7p7md9s4) — San Francisco, CA
- [Intern - Electrical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/intern-electrical-engineer-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-g3ajckdcyn50) — San Francisco, CA
- [Electrical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/electrical-engineer-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-kp72qewd6www) — San Francisco, CA
- [Controls Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/controls-engineer-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-yptemacde2jv) — San Francisco, CA
- [Intern - Growth](https://feeny.ai/job/intern-growth-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-zb9dbrz2h03z) — San Francisco, CA