1-5 years in strategic, cross-functional, or project-based roles (consulting, banking, etc.)
Bachelor's degree from a top university or a top post-graduate degree (MBA/Master's)
Preferred fields: CS, Data Science, AI/ML, Cognitive Science, Applied Math
Experience collaborating with founders or executive leadership
Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
Thrives in a startup or rapidly growing environment
US work authorization required (no visa sponsorship)
Responsibilities
Lead three to four concurrent data projects for top AI labs, from kickoff through delivery
Recruit, organize, and manage expert contributor teams ranging from under 20 to 1,000+ people
Serve as the day-to-day partner to AI lab researchers, translating their needs into executable plans
Solve operational problems from first principles and build the playbook where none exists
Track quality, throughput, and timelines, and fix bottlenecks quickly
Coordinate across internal teams to keep projects moving at startup speed
Benefits
Unusual ownership of high-stakes AI projects
Direct access to frontier AI research teams
Opportunity to shape operational models from scratch
In-office work with remote flexibility on Saturdays
Exposure to cutting-edge AI model development
Full Job Description
Location: San Francisco, CA
Work Model: In-office Monday-Friday, remote Saturdays
Industry: AI / human data for model training
Compensation: $120K-$200K base The Opportunity
As a Strategic Project Lead, you will run the operations behind high-stakes AI data projects. You will manage three to four concurrent projects with expert teams ranging from under 20 to more than 1,000 contributors, including PhDs, and work directly with researchers at AI labs. There is no established playbook for much of this work, so you will solve problems from first principles and help invent the operational model as you go.
This is a purely operational role rather than a product or strategy seat, and it is demanding: expect long days, in office Monday through Friday with remote work on Saturdays. In return you get unusual ownership, direct access to frontier AI research teams, and a front-row seat to how models are built. Responsibilities
Lead three to four concurrent data projects for top AI labs, from kickoff through delivery
Recruit, organize, and manage expert contributor teams ranging from under 20 to 1,000+ people
Serve as the day-to-day partner to AI lab researchers, translating their needs into executable plans
Solve operational problems from first principles and build the playbook where none exists
Track quality, throughput, and timelines, and fix bottlenecks quickly
Coordinate across internal teams to keep projects moving at startup speed
Requirements
1-5 years of experience in strategic, cross-functional, or project-based roles such as consulting, banking, investing, BizOps, or early-stage operating roles
Bachelor's degree from a top university, or a top post-graduate degree (MBA/Master's); CS, Data Science, AI/ML, Cognitive Science, or Applied Math preferred
Experience working directly with founders or executive leadership
Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
Thrives in a startup or rapidly growing environment and is excited by a purely operational role
Based in San Francisco or actively planning to relocate; US work authorization required (no visa sponsorship)
Bonus: hands-on coding ability, prior Chief of Staff or Program Manager experience, or demonstrated interest in AI
