Lavendo
Strategic Projects Lead (AI Datasets)
Lavendo, San Francisco, California, United States, 94199
Overview
Strategic Projects Lead
Our client is a Y Combinator-backed startup specializing in premium, human-curated datasets for AI training. Working with experts from top-tier institutions, they create specialized data resources for supervised fine-tuning, reinforcement learning, and advanced AI applications that go far beyond synthetic or web-scraped alternatives.
Our client's mission is to revolutionize the quality and utility of AI training data. By leveraging deep research and domain expertise, they enable world-class AI models to learn from data that truly reflects nuanced human behavior, decision-making, and user feedback. This commitment drives innovation across the entire AI field, fostering advances that benefit both researchers and end-users.
As a Strategic Projects Lead, you will take a founding-level role driving our client's most impactful initiatives. You'll lead complex, cross-functional projects across engineering, research, and operations, partnering with world-class experts and the founding team to deliver transformative results. At startup speed, you'll turn bold ideas into reality, design scalable execution frameworks, and ensure every collaboration achieves measurable impact.
What you'll do
Manage the delivery of high-value contracts with top AI research labs (e.g., DeepMind, OpenAI, xAI)
Lead large teams of data annotators to ensure on-time, high-quality outputs
Serve as the primary point of contact with AI researchers and technical stakeholders
Drive operational excellence across project timelines, deliverables, and quality standards
Maintain high visibility with the founding team, contributing directly to company growth and client satisfaction
Operate autonomously in high-intensity, fast-paced settings
What you bring
1+ years in roles requiring strong operational rigor, project ownership, and cross-functional coordination
Proven track record of execution in high-pressure environments (e.g., top-tier consulting, investment banking, startup operations)
Willingness to work on-site 6070+ hours / week, matching founder-level intensity
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to interface directly with technical researchers
Bonus : Prior Strategic Projects Lead or data operations experience in AI-related environments.
Key success drivers
Performs at your best in fast-paced, results-driven environments
Fast learner who takes initiative and thrives in low-guidance situations
Operates with extreme ownership and accountability
Values precision, quality, and client satisfaction
Communicates openly and directly with team and stakeholders
Why join?
Competitive base salary $110,000$150,000, plus equity
Profit-sharing from managed contracts (potential earnings up to $300k)
Direct contract ownership with prestigious AI clients
Access to leading AI labs and researchers
Accelerated career development through exposure to cutting-edge AI research
Culture built on respect, continuous learning, and high performance
Interviewing process
HR screening
Level 1 : Intro Call 30 minutes
Level 2 : Team Interviews (23 calls) assess skills, fit, and operational approach
Level 3 : In-Person Work Trial 24 days (FridayMonday)
Reference and Background Checks : conducted after successful interviews
Job Offer : provided to the selected candidate
We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity, or expression, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.
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Our client is a Y Combinator-backed startup specializing in premium, human-curated datasets for AI training. Working with experts from top-tier institutions, they create specialized data resources for supervised fine-tuning, reinforcement learning, and advanced AI applications that go far beyond synthetic or web-scraped alternatives.
Our client's mission is to revolutionize the quality and utility of AI training data. By leveraging deep research and domain expertise, they enable world-class AI models to learn from data that truly reflects nuanced human behavior, decision-making, and user feedback. This commitment drives innovation across the entire AI field, fostering advances that benefit both researchers and end-users.
As a Strategic Projects Lead, you will take a founding-level role driving our client's most impactful initiatives. You'll lead complex, cross-functional projects across engineering, research, and operations, partnering with world-class experts and the founding team to deliver transformative results. At startup speed, you'll turn bold ideas into reality, design scalable execution frameworks, and ensure every collaboration achieves measurable impact.
What you'll do
Manage the delivery of high-value contracts with top AI research labs (e.g., DeepMind, OpenAI, xAI)
Lead large teams of data annotators to ensure on-time, high-quality outputs
Serve as the primary point of contact with AI researchers and technical stakeholders
Drive operational excellence across project timelines, deliverables, and quality standards
Maintain high visibility with the founding team, contributing directly to company growth and client satisfaction
Operate autonomously in high-intensity, fast-paced settings
What you bring
1+ years in roles requiring strong operational rigor, project ownership, and cross-functional coordination
Proven track record of execution in high-pressure environments (e.g., top-tier consulting, investment banking, startup operations)
Willingness to work on-site 6070+ hours / week, matching founder-level intensity
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to interface directly with technical researchers
Bonus : Prior Strategic Projects Lead or data operations experience in AI-related environments.
Key success drivers
Performs at your best in fast-paced, results-driven environments
Fast learner who takes initiative and thrives in low-guidance situations
Operates with extreme ownership and accountability
Values precision, quality, and client satisfaction
Communicates openly and directly with team and stakeholders
Why join?
Competitive base salary $110,000$150,000, plus equity
Profit-sharing from managed contracts (potential earnings up to $300k)
Direct contract ownership with prestigious AI clients
Access to leading AI labs and researchers
Accelerated career development through exposure to cutting-edge AI research
Culture built on respect, continuous learning, and high performance
Interviewing process
HR screening
Level 1 : Intro Call 30 minutes
Level 2 : Team Interviews (23 calls) assess skills, fit, and operational approach
Level 3 : In-Person Work Trial 24 days (FridayMonday)
Reference and Background Checks : conducted after successful interviews
Job Offer : provided to the selected candidate
We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity, or expression, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.
#J-18808-Ljbffr