Vice President / Director of Delivery

About the role

Defined.ai is a leading provider of high-quality, ethically sourced data for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) model training. We host the world's largest AI marketplace and offer end-to-end services to help companies accelerate their AI solutions. Backed by significant funding and recognized globally for our commitment to ethical AI, we operate in a fast-paced, innovative environment with offices in Seattle and Lisbon.

This role is open to candidates in the United States, Canada, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, or other locations within 1-2 hours of the US Eastern Time zone.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Vision
  • Develop and execute the overall vision, strategy, and operating plan for the professional services organisation, translating corporate objectives into a clear delivery roadmap with measurable milestones.
  • Own the P&L for the workflow business, with direct accountability for revenue, gross margin, and sustained profitability targets.
  • Define, standardise, and continuously improve service offerings, delivery methodologies, and operational best practices that support efficiency, repeatability, and scale.
  • Serve as a key voice on the company's senior leadership team — bringing ground-level intelligence on market trends, client needs, and delivery performance to inform strategic decision-making.
  • Establish a robust KPI framework and provide regular reporting to the executive team, covering metrics such as revenue attainment, gross margin, team utilisation, project profitability, CSAT, and Net Promoter Score (NPS).
• Team Leadership & Development
  • Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of project managers, delivery managers, and consultants — creating a talent pipeline that can scale with business growth.
  • Manage and grow our list of suppliers and treat them as business partners, since customer satisfaction relies on the quality of delivery from our suppliers.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and client-centricity; set clear performance expectations and develop career paths that attract and retain top talent.
  • Oversee resource and capacity planning, ensuring the right skills and bandwidth are available to meet pipeline demand, project needs, and strategic growth objectives.
  • Champion diversity, inclusion, and psychological safety as foundations for innovation and team effectiveness.
• Service Delivery Excellence & Operations
  • Oversee the entire lifecycle of client engagements — from pre-sales support and scoping through project kick-off, execution, quality review, and formal closure — ensuring a seamless client experience at every stage.
  • Implement rigorous project governance frameworks, risk registers, and quality-assurance processes that guarantee on-time, on-budget, and high-quality delivery outcomes.
  • Act as the primary executive point of contact for strategic client escalations, resolving complex issues with diplomacy, urgency, and a long-term partnership mindset.
  • Drive the adoption of delivery tooling, automation, and data-driven insights to increase team productivity and forecast accuracy.
  • Develop KPIs for supplier onboarding and create quality controls for data delivery.
• Commercial & Client Management
  • Collaborate closely with the Sales team on pre-sales activities — including solution design, project scoping, effort estimation, pricing, and the creation of compelling Statements of Work (SOWs) and service agreements.
  • Build and maintain trusted executive-level relationships with key client stakeholders, acting as an executive sponsor for top accounts.
  • Proactively identify and pursue opportunities for services expansion within the existing client base, working in partnership with Customer Success and Sales to convert them into incremental revenue.
  • Manage key partnerships with subcontractors and technology vendors, ensuring external delivery capabilities are aligned, quality-controlled, and commercially sound.

Requirements

• 10+ years of progressive experience in professional services, managed services, or technology delivery, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role managing cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated track record of owning a services P&L and delivering against revenue, margin, and client satisfaction targets.
• Deep expertise in project delivery methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, hybrid); PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent certification preferred.
• Proven ability to build, scale, and retain high-performing delivery teams in a fast-paced, technology-driven environment.
• Strong commercial acumen — experienced in pre-sales, SOW development, pricing, and contract negotiation.
• Exceptional executive communication skills; able to engage, influence, and present to C-suite stakeholders and board-level audiences.
• Experience working in or closely with AI, data, SaaS, or enterprise technology businesses.

Nice-to-have

• Background in AI/ML data services, annotation, data labelling, or adjacent AI infrastructure sectors.
• Experience scaling a global or distributed delivery organisation across multiple time zones.
• Familiarity with enterprise procurement cycles and complex multi-stakeholder client environments.
• MBA or advanced degree in Business, Technology, Engineering, or a related field.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic Thinking — Translates ambiguous market signals and business goals into clear, executable plans.
• Commercial Drive — Balances client value creation with internal profitability; treats margin as a leadership responsibility.
• Operational Rigor — Builds systems, processes, and governance that scale without sacrificing agility.
• People Leadership — Develops talent, delegates effectively, and cultivates a team culture of excellence and ownership.
• Executive Presence — Inspires confidence with clients, peers, and the board; communicates with clarity and conviction.
• Collaborative Influence — Partners across Sales, Product, Engineering, and Finance to align on shared outcomes.
• Data-Driven Decision-Making — Leverages KPIs, dashboards, and delivery analytics to drive continuous improvement.

Benefits

• Flexible working schedule and hybrid model.
• Excellent career development opportunities in a high-growth company.
• Culture of feedback and continuous improvement.
• An international and diverse team with more than 30 nationalities across 4 locations, including language classes.
• Continuous training opportunities, including hands-on workshops, unlimited access to Udemy, and formal development programs.
• Team-building activities and social events (e.g., surfing, go-kart racing, soccer).