Expert Operations
Summary
Expert Operations role at Abaka AI involves sourcing, evaluating, and onboarding expert contributors for AI data projects, ensuring high-quality staffing for AI model development across domains like text, image, and video.
About Abaka AI
Abaka AI is built on one mission: to be the world’s most trusted data partner for AI companies. More than 1,000 industry leaders across Generative AI, Embodied AI, and Automotive AI rely on us to power their data pipelines. With our headquarters in Silicon Valley—and teams in Paris, Singapore, and Tokyo—we support global partners with fast, reliable, and scalable data solutions.
Our offerings include a diverse catalog of off-the-shelf datasets (image, video, multimodal, reasoning, 3D, and beyond) as well as comprehensive data collection and annotation services. Whether teams need raw data, curated datasets, or full-cycle data engineering, Abaka AI provides the foundation for building high-performance AI systems.
About the Role
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.
Responsibilities
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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.
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Review contributor profiles, work history, assessments, and qualifications to evaluate project fit and staffing readiness.
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Conduct interviews to assess communication skills, technical knowledge, and overall contributor quality.
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Guide contributors through onboarding, training, and project setup to ensure a smooth and successful onboarding experience.
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Partner closely with Project Managers to understand project requirements and efficiently staff high-quality contributors.
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Build and maintain a strong pipeline of qualified experts to support both current and future project needs.
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Serve as the primary point of contact for contributors, providing timely communication, support, and issue resolution throughout the project lifecycle.
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Track staffing metrics, onboarding progress, contributor performance, and operational KPIs to continuously improve efficiency and quality.
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Develop and refine scalable workflows for expert sourcing, evaluation, onboarding, and contributor engagement.
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Leverage AI tools and automation to improve operational efficiency, communication, and talent matching processes.
Qualifications
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Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
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1+ years of experience in AI data annotation, quality assurance, reviewer operations, project operations, talent operations, recruiting, or related operational roles.
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Experience working on AI data projects involving annotation, model evaluation, RLHF, preference ranking, or human feedback is highly preferred.
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Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust and maintain strong relationships with contributors.
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Strong judgment and attention to detail when evaluating contributor quality and project fit.
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Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple hiring, onboarding, and staffing pipelines simultaneously.
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Comfortable working with spreadsheets, CRMs, applicant tracking systems, and operational tools.
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Self-driven, adaptable, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced startup environment with a strong sense of ownership and urgency.
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Experience using AI tools to improve sourcing, communication, or operational workflows is a plus.
Compensation & Benefits
The base salary range for this position is $80,000 – $130,000 USD annually.
Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. Base pay is one part of the total package provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work at Abaka AI. This role is eligible for equity, as well as a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, PTO, and a flexible work schedule.