About this role
SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.
MANAGER, STRATEGIC SOURCING (DATA OPERATIONS)
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.
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
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
• 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
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
• 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
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Pay Range: $155,000.00 - $215,000.00
Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case