Manager, Human Data Operations

About the role

The role involves leading the Human Data function at SpaceXAI, focusing on delivering high-quality training data and evaluations that power the company's AI models. The position requires managing a team of Team Leads and AI Tutors, setting standards for data quality, and building operational systems for rapid model development.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end quality and delivery for critical Human Data projects while ensuring accuracy, consistency, and guideline adherence at scale.
• Lead, coach, and grow a team of Team Leads and AI Tutors, including performance management, career development, and talent pipeline building.
• Manage a globally distributed workforce spanning multiple employment types, fostering strong collaboration and consistent standards across time zones.
• Collaborate closely with Members of Program Staff, Go-to-Market teams, and Engineering teams to understand model needs and translate them into clear data requirements and labeling strategies.
• Define and continuously improve operational standards, annotation guidelines, taxonomy, and quality assurance processes.
• Drive efficiency and scalability by identifying and resolving bottlenecks, implementing process improvements, and leveraging metrics/KPIs to track performance (e.g., send-back rate, tutor utilization, lead time).
• Recruit, hire, and develop top talent while maintaining a high-performance, meritocratic culture with strong accountability.
• Build and iterate training programs, certification processes, and onboarding systems for new team members and leaders.
• Act as the voice of the tutors while connecting Team Leads with Human Data Engineers to drive continuous improvement.
• Report on program status, risks, and outcomes to senior leadership while fostering cross-functional alignment.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of people leadership experience, including managing Team Leads or equivalent managers, with a proven track record delivering high-quality operations at scale.
• Basic understanding of AI/ML concepts and how high-quality training data impacts model performance.
• Familiarity with project management tools such as Notion, JIRA, Linear, or Axiom.
• Strong track record of building and improving data quality systems and operational processes.
• Demonstrated ability to manage performance, develop talent, and scale teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience managing a globally distributed workforce with mixed employment types (full-time employees and contractors).
• Proficiency in SQL and data analysis, with the ability to use metrics to drive continuous improvement (Lean principles or similar a plus).
• Specialty or strong domain expertise in at least one of the following areas: Finance, STEM, Coding/Software Engineering, or other technical fields.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build rapport quickly and align stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills with high attention to detail and a proactive, problem-solving mindset.
• Previous experience building or scaling a Human Data / AI Tutors organization from early stages.
• Strategic thinking combined with strong hands-on execution.
• Experience creating training programs and certification frameworks at scale.
• Passion for building high-performing, meritocratic teams.

Bonus

• Strong track record of building and improving data quality systems and operational processes.
• Experience managing a globally distributed workforce with mixed employment types (full-time employees and contractors).
• Proficiency in SQL and data analysis, with the ability to use metrics to drive continuous improvement (Lean principles or similar a plus).
• Specialty or strong domain expertise in at least one of the following areas: Finance, STEM, Coding/Software Engineering, or other technical fields.
• Previous experience building or scaling a Human Data / AI Tutors organization from early stages.
• Strategic thinking combined with strong hands-on execution.
• Experience creating training programs and certification frameworks at scale.
• Passion for building high-performing, meritocratic teams.