Overview

As the Data Acquisition Lead, you'll be the first hire developing AfterQuery's data acquisition strategy, responsible for sourcing, vetting, and acquiring real-world data assets. You'll build scalable systems for finding and negotiating the purchase of large data assets; verifying the content and quality of those assets; and altering / packaging those assets, as business needs require. You'll work across Ops, Research, and Engineering to determine what data assets to target and how to effectively obtain and process those assets.

Key Responsibilities

Data Acquisition Strategy: develop and continually refine AfterQuery's enterprise data-acquisition strategy, identifying where proprietary enterprise data can meaningfully improve frontier model training and prioritizing target industries and partners accordingly.

Deal Negotiation & Ownership: Personally lead negotiation of AfterQuery's highest-value, most complex enterprise data-purchase agreements, from term sheet through signature.

Vendor & Partner Management: Build and maintain a portfolio of enterprise data relationships, negotiating pricing, licensing terms, and renewal/expansion agreements.

Cross-Functional Partnership: Partner with Engineering, Ops, Legal, and Research to ensure acquired data meets technical and compliance requirements and translates into usable training assets.

Compliance & Governance: Ensure all data purchases meet legal, IP/copyright, and data-governance standards.

Reporting & Forecasting: Own the data-acquisition budget, pipeline, and forecasting, reporting progress and ROI to executive leadership.

Operational Support: Contribute to company-wide initiatives across building, analysis, coordination, and execution as AfterQuery scales.
Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in enterprise data acquisition, strategic partnerships, corporate development, or data/vendor licensing negotiation, including people-leadership experience
• Demonstrated track record personally negotiating and closing complex, high-value data-purchase agreements (seven figures or more)
• Deep understanding of data licensing structures, data rights/IP considerations, and data governance and compliance frameworks
• Excellent executive-level negotiation, communication, and relationship-building skills
• High agency and strong work ethic; comfort operating with minimal direction in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
• Genuine passion for AI and an entrepreneurial inclination
• Demonstrated competitive success

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior leadership experience in an AI training-data, data-licensing, data-marketplace, or data-brokerage organization
• Existing network of enterprise data and content-owner relationships across target industries
• Financial modeling and deal-economics expertise
• Legal or compliance background in data rights and licensing
• Experience scaling a data-acquisition function within a hypergrowth startup

Company Benefits (For Eligible Employees):

• Health Insurance: Medical, Vision, Dental
• 401(k) with Employer Match
• Daily Meals: Daily UberEats Stipend
• Monthly Wellness Stipend
• Commute Covered