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Salary: USD 104,000 - 170,400 / annual
xAI is seeking an Expert Team Lead, Engineering to lead a team of AI Tutors (full-time employees and contractors) responsible for delivering high-quality training data and evaluations that power xAI's AI models. This is a hands-on leadership role where you will both execute labeling and review work while continuously improving processes as the organization scales.
You will own end-to-end quality and delivery for assigned Human Data projects, personally reviewing work in the domain to ensure accuracy, consistency, and guideline adherence. You will lead, coach, and performance-manage a team of AI Tutors, conducting regular performance reviews, maintaining records, creating action plans, and driving continuous improvement. You will oversee and actively participate in labeling and reviewing tasks to maintain high standards and model best practices.
Key responsibilities include ensuring strict guideline adherence and taxonomy management, driving efficiency by identifying and resolving operational bottlenecks, implementing process improvements, and tracking performance via KPI dashboards (quality metrics, throughput, send-back rates). You will build and deliver training materials, practice tasks, and certification benchmarks; manage certifications and workforce adjustments. You will collaborate closely with Human Data Managers, fellow Team Leads, and Engineering to translate model needs into clear labeling strategies. You will coach and develop talent while maintaining strong accountability and a high-performance culture, and act as the voice of your tutors while fostering collaboration across the broader Human Data organization.
The company operates with a flat organizational structure where all employees are expected to be hands-on and contribute directly to the mission. Leadership is given to those who show initiative and consistently deliver excellence. Strong work ethic, prioritization skills, and communication abilities are essential.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Civil, Environmental, or closely related engineering field
- 2+ years professional experience in engineering practice (design, analysis, testing, R&D, systems integration) OR Master's degree (or higher) in engineering or related field
- Basic understanding of AI and machine learning concepts and how high-quality training data impacts model performance
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in engineering discipline, or professional licensure (PE, FE/EIT)
- Demonstrated experience with data quality metrics, annotation processes, and guideline-driven workflows
- Breadth across multiple engineering disciplines with ability to credibly review work outside primary specialty
- Experience with performance management, coaching, training program development, and certification frameworks
- 1+ years hands-on experience in data labeling, annotation, AI training/evaluation, content quality, or similar operational domains
- Professional experience building scalable, high-performance technology applications
- Previous experience leading small teams in data labeling, annotation, or related operations
- Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and prioritize effectively in fast-paced environment
- Strong track record of reviewing domain work, ensuring data quality, and improving operational processes
- Proficiency in data analysis and associated tools (SQL a plus); ability to use metrics and KPIs to drive continuous improvement
- Experience managing mixed employment types (full-time employees and contractors) or distributed teams
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills with ability to build rapport and align stakeholders
- Strong organizational skills, high attention to detail, proactive problem-solving mindset, and focus on continuous improvement
- Strategic thinking combined with strong hands-on execution
- Specialty or strong domain expertise in Finance, STEM, Coding/Software Engineering, or other technical fields
- Passion for building high-performing teams and scaling high-quality Human Data operations
- Must be based in one of the following countries where xAI has physical offices: United States, Dubai, Ireland, United Kingdom, Japan, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Philippines, or Singapore (remote work also possible)
