MAGIC AI is building the world’s first AI health coach and personal trainer, powered by proprietary computer vision and world class athlete led content.
MAGIC AI pioneered intelligent mirror training, enabling real time form correction, rep counting and live feedback. The company is backed by leading UK and US investors and has been recognised by Time Magazine and Fast Company for innovation.
Role Summary
This is a senior execution role (part time), based primarily in Shenzhen, responsible for turning clear product and commercial direction into reliable, scalable, high quality hardware.
The role does not own the hardware roadmap or COGS targets.
Instead, it acts as a high trust execution partner to Product and Ops, reducing risk, improving quality, and removing operational drag.
The role exists to:
- Execute hardware strategy with precision
- Reduce cognitive load on senior leadership
- Strengthen supply chain resilience
- Ensure hardware never becomes a bottleneck to product, software, or commercial goals
Reporting & Interfaces
- Reports functionally into Operations
- Works closely with:
- Head of Ops (COGS, suppliers, margins, payments)
- Product leadership (hardware roadmap inputs and feasibility)
- Engineering and Product teams (delivery readiness)
- Interfaces daily with factories, suppliers and component manufacturers in China
What This Role Owns
- Hardware Execution (Primary Accountability):
- Execute against agreed hardware direction and specifications
- Own day to day factory relationships and on site execution
- Inspect, QA and sign off samples prior to production runs
- Resolve defects, quality issues and production risks quickly
- Ensure consistent fit, finish, durability and customer experience
- Produce clear, written QA and shipment reports in plain English
- Quality, Defects & Warranty (Execution Ownership):
- Execute QA processes on the ground
- Diagnose hardware failures and repairs to identify root causes to drive upstream quality improvements.
- Propose fixes and preventative measures
- Escalate material risks early with options and recommendations
- Overall defect rates and warranty outcomes sit with Ops, but execution and diagnosis sit here.
- Supply Chain Resilience & Risk Reduction:
- Identify and reduce single points of failure across components and suppliers
- Ensure appropriate use of dual sourcing where possible
- Map and surface supply chain risks before they become issues
- Present mitigation options clearly to leadership
- The role is expected to anticipate risk, not just respond to failure.
- Supplier & Factory Management:
- Manage day to day supplier and factory relationships in China
- Support negotiations with data, options and on the ground insight
- Ensure factories are aligned on specifications, timelines and quality expectations
- Act as MAGIC AI’s eyes and ears on the ground
- Final commercial decisions remain with Ops, but this role materially improves decision quality.
- Hardware Changes & Autonomy:
- Early stage: changes to suppliers, components or BOM require alignment with Ops and Product
- Over time: increasing autonomy for minor component substitutions and execution decisions
- Expected to bring Option A / Option B recommendations, not just problems
- Judgement, coachability and learning velocity matter as much as experience.
What This Role Does Not Own
To be explicit:
- Does not own the hardware roadmap
- Does not own COGS targets or margin accountability
- Does not make unilateral strategic hardware decisions
Those sit with Product and Ops respectively.
This role enables both to succeed.
Location & Travel
- Based primarily in Shenzhen
- Occasional travel to London HQ as required
- Expectation is limited UK travel, not frequent commuting
Requirements
- Experience executing consumer hardware or consumer technology products
- Strong on the ground experience working with factories in China
- Mandarin fluency strongly preferred
- Deep practical understanding of hardware components (cameras, boards, wiring, displays, sensors)
- Comfortable operating at extreme levels of detail and marginal gains
- Strong written documentation and reporting discipline
- Commercial awareness and confidence in supplier discussions
- Coachable, pragmatic, and calm under pressure
- Able to operate autonomously while knowing when to escalate
What Success Looks Like
- Hardware issues are anticipated, not surfaced late
- QA reports are clear, actionable and trusted
- Factories are aligned and predictable
- Supply chain risk steadily reduces
- Product and Ops spend less time firefighting hardware issues
- Hardware execution becomes a quiet strength of the business
Benefits
- Competitive salary.
- An impact from day one. Our business is scaling by the day. You'll work on ambitious projects, and your contribution will significantly impact the success of MAGIC AI now and in the future.
