Expert Operations

Abaka AI•Mountain View, CA

2d•$80,000 - $130,000

About The Position

We're hiring for Expert Operations to help build and scale the expert workforce behind some of the world's leading AI models. In this role, you will own the end-to-end process of identifying, evaluating, onboarding, and supporting expert contributors for AI data projects across a wide range of domains. Working closely with Project Managers, Operations, and Research teams, you'll match qualified experts from our talent platform to project needs, ensuring every engagement is staffed with high-quality contributors who can deliver exceptional results. You'll serve as a key point of contact throughout the contributor lifecycle, building strong relationships while creating a seamless onboarding experience. As an early member of our Expert Operations team, you'll help define scalable processes for expert sourcing, evaluation, onboarding, and community management. Your work will directly impact the quality, speed, and success of the AI data projects powering frontier foundation models for some of the world's leading AI companies. If you thrive in fast-paced environments, enjoy working with people, and are passionate about building high-performing communities, this role offers an opportunity to make an immediate and lasting impact.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
1+ years of experience in AI data annotation, quality assurance, reviewer operations, project operations, talent operations, recruiting, or related operational roles.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust and maintain strong relationships with contributors.
Strong judgment and attention to detail when evaluating contributor quality and project fit.
Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple hiring, onboarding, and staffing pipelines simultaneously.
Comfortable working with spreadsheets, CRMs, applicant tracking systems, and operational tools.
Self-driven, adaptable, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced startup environment with a strong sense of ownership and urgency.

Nice To Haves

Experience working on AI data projects involving annotation, model evaluation, RLHF, preference ranking, or human feedback is highly preferred.
Experience using AI tools to improve sourcing, communication, or operational workflows is a plus.

Responsibilities

Source and identify qualified experts from Abaka's talent platform for AI data projects across domains including text, image, video, audio, coding, reasoning, multimodal AI, and domain-specific expertise.
Review contributor profiles, work history, assessments, and qualifications to evaluate project fit and staffing readiness.
Conduct interviews to assess communication skills, technical knowledge, and overall contributor quality.
Guide contributors through onboarding, training, and project setup to ensure a smooth and successful onboarding experience.
Partner closely with Project Managers to understand project requirements and efficiently staff high-quality contributors.
Build and maintain a strong pipeline of qualified experts to support both current and future project needs.
Serve as the primary point of contact for contributors, providing timely communication, support, and issue resolution throughout the project lifecycle.
Track staffing metrics, onboarding progress, contributor performance, and operational KPIs to continuously improve efficiency and quality.
Develop and refine scalable workflows for expert sourcing, evaluation, onboarding, and contributor engagement.
Leverage AI tools and automation to improve operational efficiency, communication, and talent matching processes.