Manager, Strategic Sourcing (Data Operations)

SpaceX•Palo Alto, CA

About The Position

We're hiring a leader to build and run SpaceXAI's data operations team. This team defines the sourcing strategy and vets high-quality training data, manages vendor relationships, and works directly with research to close model gaps and improve performance. You'll partner with external vendors on evaluations and specialized datasets that support training, validation, and ongoing model work. This team also owns data quality standards and must deliver datasets that hit our cost, quality, and speed targets. We're looking for an experienced people leader with a strong background in data operations or technical sourcing and a proven record of delivering in high-pressure environments.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and 4+ years of experience working in one or more of the following; or 10+ years of experience working in one or more of the following in lieu of a degree: Business Supply chain Engineering Procurement Strategy and operations Technology

Nice To Haves

Technical understanding of AI training data, including annotations, evaluations, research datasets, and how dataset quality affects model performance
Experience in fast-paced AI, ML, or data infrastructure environments
Background building or managing global supplier networks for services, data, or other high-variability commodities
Strong leadership, negotiation, analytical, and cross-functional skills
Proven ability to secure supply and manage cost, quality, and delivery against aggressive targets
Experience with data analysis, spend analysis, and performance metrics
Ability to tackle complex and ambiguous problems with high ownership
Passion for SpaceXAI’s mission

Responsibilities

Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing sourcing team focused on acquiring high-quality data that aligns with research needs and model performance
Source and co-develop datasets with vendor partners to meet the increasing complexity of our models
Oversee the global supplier network, including end-to-end sourcing and supplier qualification, to meet acquisition and delivery targets
Negotiate major agreements covering pricing, volume, quality, exclusivity, and delivery reliability, committing budget only to datasets that meaningfully improve model performance
Continuously improve, standardize, and scale sourcing processes, workflows, tools, and planning systems
Track team and category KPIs and provide regular updates and recommendations to senior leadership

Benefits

Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage
Access to a 401(k) retirement plan
Short and long-term disability insurance
Life insurance
Paid parental leave
Various other discounts and perks
3 weeks of paid vacation
10 or more paid holidays per year
Paid sick leave
Long-term incentives, in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards
Potential discretionary bonuses
Ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan