Data Acquisition Lead

AfterQuery•San Francisco, CA

10d•$150,000 - $275,000•Onsite

About The Position

AfterQuery is an applied research lab curating data solutions for foundation model development. We serve every frontier AI lab with the mission of delivering the best data to power the best models. In doing so, we can make expertise that once took a lifetime to build available to anyone who needs it. Our customers are the ones building the foundation models themselves and our work sits directly in the loop of how those systems improve. This is a rare opportunity to join a company at a defining moment in AI. Since raising our $30M Series A at a $300M valuation, AfterQuery has grown well over a $100M revenue run rate. We're based in San Francisco and backed by leading investors including Altos Ventures, BoxGroup, and Y Combinator and angels from Google DeepMind, OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta Superintelligence Labs, and Microsoft AI. As the Data Acquisition Lead, you'll be the first hire developing AfterQuery's data acquisition strategy, responsible for sourcing, vetting, and acquiring real-world data assets. You'll build scalable systems for finding and negotiating the purchase of large data assets; verifying the content and quality of those assets; and altering / packaging those assets, as business needs require. You'll work across Ops, Research, and Engineering to determine what data assets to target and how to effectively obtain and process those assets.

Requirements

3+ years of experience in enterprise data acquisition, strategic partnerships, corporate development, or data/vendor licensing negotiation, including people-leadership experience
Demonstrated track record personally negotiating and closing complex, high-value data-purchase agreements (seven figures or more)
Deep understanding of data licensing structures, data rights/IP considerations, and data governance and compliance frameworks
Excellent executive-level negotiation, communication, and relationship-building skills
High agency and strong work ethic; comfort operating with minimal direction in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
Genuine passion for AI and an entrepreneurial inclination
Demonstrated competitive success

Nice To Haves

Prior leadership experience in an AI training-data, data-licensing, data-marketplace, or data-brokerage organization
Existing network of enterprise data and content-owner relationships across target industries
Financial modeling and deal-economics expertise
Legal or compliance background in data rights and licensing
Experience scaling a data-acquisition function within a hypergrowth startup

Responsibilities

Develop and continually refine AfterQuery's enterprise data-acquisition strategy, identifying where proprietary enterprise data can meaningfully improve frontier model training and prioritizing target industries and partners accordingly.
Personally lead negotiation of AfterQuery's highest-value, most complex enterprise data-purchase agreements, from term sheet through signature.
Build and maintain a portfolio of enterprise data relationships, negotiating pricing, licensing terms, and renewal/expansion agreements.
Partner with Engineering, Ops, Legal, and Research to ensure acquired data meets technical and compliance requirements and translates into usable training assets.
Ensure all data purchases meet legal, IP/copyright, and data-governance standards.
Own the data-acquisition budget, pipeline, and forecasting, reporting progress and ROI to executive leadership.
Contribute to company-wide initiatives across building, analysis, coordination, and execution as AfterQuery scales.