Strategic Project Lead - 7-8 figure contracts with frontier AI lab clients

Job Description

Job DescriptionSalary - $140,000 - $200,000What You'll OwnServe as the main point of contact for top AI lab customers, building deep trust and long-term partnershipsUnderstand client objectives and translate them into executable project plansDesign and manage large-scale data pipelines from client specification through final deliveryRecruit, vet, onboard, and manage teams of expert contributors at scaleMentor and develop Strategic Project Associates on your projectsOwn 2-3 projects concurrently or one marquee project at any given timeRequirementsMust-Have3+ years full-time experience in a strategic project lead or equivalent role at Mercor, Scale AI, or a comparable frontier human data companyFull-time employment history. No contractor or annotator experience counts toward the bar.Proven track record of managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects with 7+ figure contract valueExperience working directly with clients in a customer-facing capacityComfort owning end-to-end project execution under an intense pace and high stakesBased in SF or willing to relocate. 5 days in office, 996 schedule.Nice-to-HaveBackground in data operations, engineering, computer science, math, or a related technical fieldFor Mercor or Scale AI candidates: senior tenure only. Junior or early-tenure candidates from these companies are typically not the right bar.Core candidates who joined post-October 2025 Series C round are high-signalExperience mentoring or managing junior team members