Operations Manager, Hardware Operations

Overview

Caper.ai is a subsidiary of Instacart and an AI company. It leverages cutting-edge AI and computer vision technology to bring an autonomous shopping experience to the store. Its product, the Caper Cart - an AI-powered smart cart equipped with scales, sensors, touchscreens, and computer vision technology, is the cornerstone of the Instacart Platform Connected Stores initiative.  

Caper builds smart shopping carts powered by deep learning and computer vision to enable a seamless grab-and-go retail experience. Caper’s unique technology is a plug-and-play solution that does not require retail store renovation, operational overhaul, heavy computing, and endless image labeling & training. Retailers purchase intelligent shopping carts, and the entire store is upgraded with cashier-less capabilities!

Caper is one of the fastest-growing retail automation technology products in the market, costs less than 1% of our competition’s infrastructure, and is already widely adopted in the marketplace. Our cross-functional and durable Product team solves hard customer & business problems in ways our customers love.

As an Operations Manager, Hardware Operations, you will own end-to-end hardware field operations for Caper carts—deployments, retrofits, and fleet maintenance/repair—driving efficient, high-quality execution across carts in the market. You will build operational rigor through scalable processes, documentation, and analytics, while partnering closely with Program Managers and the Quality team to close the loop between field execution and product quality—surfacing field insights and failure patterns, improving troubleshooting, and driving corrective actions.  As we scale to thousands of carts in the field, your work will directly impact uptime, retailer experience, and operational readiness.

About the Job

• Own end-to-end field operations planning and delivery, defining scope, building schedules and operating cadences, aligning parts/logistics readiness, and ensuring on-time, high-quality completion of deployments, retrofits, and maintenance/repair work across the fleet.
• Own day-to-day hardware field operations execution, including daily triage, dispatch, routing, escalations, and quality follow-through across deployments, retrofits, and maintenance/repair tickets to maximize fleet uptime and SLA adherence.
• Partner closely with Program Managers and the Quality team to close the loop between field execution and product quality—bringing back field insights, failure patterns, and observations to flag emerging issues, improve troubleshooting, and drive corrective actions—ensuring high-quality outcomes across both technician work and real-world fleet performance.
• Lead continuous improvement by analyzing operational performance and implementing policies, procedures, and systems that improve throughput, quality, and consistency across field workflows.
• Own operational tooling readiness and adoption at scale to implement, standardize, and continuously improve workflows across ERP/CMMS platforms and field execution tools, enabling technician self-service, ensuring data quality, and driving consistent field execution as fleet volume grows.
• Establish and uphold operational rigor through documentation, crafting scalable SOPs, playbooks, and standardized procedures for deployments, retrofits, and maintenance/repair operations to enable repeatability and capability building.
• Lead operational analytics and KPI management, capturing and analyzing trends related to repairs, manpower allocation, ground-time, repeat issues, and non-routine activities to surface insights and drive corrective actions.
• Closely track and manage operational costs across all field execution, identify spend trends, and drive actionable cost-efficiency improvements.
• Directly own resource allocation and execution models—staffing, routing, capacity planning, and schedule optimization across maintenance, deployment, and retrofit programs to ensure SLA performance, quality, and cost efficiency.
• Ensure compliance and safety adherence across field operations, including safety protocols, retailer site requirements, and company policies.
• Be a flex player: priorities evolve quickly in a fast-paced environment; you will lean into ambiguity, step into new problem spaces, and deliver practical solutions with urgency and ownership.

About You

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• 5+ years of experience in operations, field service operations, supply chain, manufacturing operations, or a similar leadership/ownership role.
• Demonstrated ability to lead operational execution across multiple workstreams, balancing speed, quality, and stakeholder alignment.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, track KPIs, identify root causes, and drive measurable operational improvements.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills—able to clearly articulate complex operational topics for diverse audiences, including technical teams, leadership, and frontline operators.
• Experience working cross-functionally to manage dependencies and drive accountability across teams.
• Proficiency in tools such as Google Sheets/Excel and ticketing/operations platforms such as Jira, Freshdesk, ServiceNow, or equivalents.
• Willingness to travel as needed to support on-site operational needs.
• Authorization to work in the US is required. This position is currently not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree and/or relevant industry experience in Operations.
• MBA and/or Lean Six Sigma certification (or equivalent process excellence experience).
• Experience building processes for 0 to 1 initiatives and scaling operations from 1 to N.
• Experience developing operational playbooks, SOPs, training materials, and repeatable field execution models.