Project Manager, AIML Data Ops – Actuals Process

Apple; Hyderabad; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple is looking for a highly skilled candidate in Hyderabad to manage annotations operations and drive financial processes within the Actuals Processing team. The role entails substantial responsibilities in data analysis, reporting, and improving invoicing processes. The ideal candidate has over 10 years of experience in data analysis and program management, with a strong ability to collaborate across teams. A Master's degree, preferably an MBA, is required along with expertise in tools like Excel, VBA, and Tableau.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in Data Analysis, Business/Finance Operations, and Program Management.
• Expertise in building comprehensive reports and dashboards for leadership audiences.
• Strong analytical proficiency in financial modeling and data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with vendors to manage annotations operations invoicing process.
• Lead processes for budget allocation and management.
• Prepare executive-level reports summarizing program status and key risks.

Skills

Data Analysis

Financial Modeling

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Process Improvement

VBA Macros

SQL

Tableau

Education

Master's degree (preferably MBA, M.Stat, MSc in Economics)

Tools

Microsoft Excel

VBA Macros

Tableau

Job description

Summary

Would you like to play a critical part in the next revolution in human-computer interaction? Contribute to the advancement of a product that is redefining human-computer interaction, and work with the people who build the intelligent assistant that helps hundreds of millions of people get things done — just by asking? As part of the Actuals Processing team within AIML Data Operations, you will work with a high-performing and fast-paced team and participate in the development of some of the most valuable products & features that delight our customers. The mission of the team is to build a scalable, transparent and measurable process to handle the human annotated assets development process.

We are looking for a candidate who will need to manage annotations operations invoicing/actuals process, continuously improve the process and the communication with the global team comprising of Account managers, crowd managers and senior leadership to be part of an effective team offshore. The individual should be self-driven, organized and have a structured approach to problem solving.

Description

• While reporting to a Program Manager based in Hyderabad, the candidate will perform data analysis and reporting for Annotation operations by collaborating with vendors and driving process improvements across invoicing, spend management, and resource tracking. The role involves leading processes for budget allocation, budget management, and forecast preparation. The candidate will work with a team of analysts to continuously enhance operational metrics and develop standardized reports for leadership consumption. Additional responsibilities include preparing executive-level reports that summarize ongoing program status and highlight key risks, as well as gathering, documenting, and prioritizing requirements in close partnership with engineering teams to successfully test and release features and functionalities. The candidate will also establish robust financial controls and processes to meet financial reporting requirements. Day-to-day operational responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
• Vendor & Stakeholder Coordination – Actuals Processing - Collaborate closely with vendors and internal stakeholders to ensure timely and accurate processing of actuals in overall invoicing process. This role requires a high degree of cross-functional collaboration, rigorous data analysis, and reconciliation across multiple sources to guarantee data completeness and on-time delivery of accurate actuals to downstream teams and leadership.
• Actuals Process Improvement & Financial Governance – Serve as a strategic partner to all Annotation program stakeholders with a focus on enhancing the Actuals process and associated datasets to enable robust cost attribution, cost tracking, and budget management. The ideal candidate will engage proactively driving initiatives that promote process efficiency, automation, and financial diligence.
• Product Roadmap Development – Invoicing Tools & Enhancements Demonstrate strong strategic thinking in developing and owning the roadmap for invoicing process tool enhancements. Responsibilities include gathering and documenting business requirements, partnering with technical and business process re-engineering teams to prioritize features, leading User Acceptance Testing (UAT), and managing the end-to-end release of features and functionalities to the user community.
• Reporting, Dashboards & Team Leadership – Lead or collaborate with a team of contractors and analysts to design and develop operational and executive-level reports and dashboards that support operational planning and critical metric tracking. The candidate is expected to be hands-on in day-to-day responsibilities and must demonstrate proficiency in financial modeling and reporting to effectively support the team.
• Independent Problem – Solving in ambiguous environments exhibit a proactive and self-directed mindset with the ability to operate effectively under minimal supervision and in ambiguous situations. The candidate should apply sound logical reasoning, structured hypothesis-driven thinking, and the ability to independently navigate complex systems and processes to drive outcomes.
• Executive Reporting & Business Reviews – Take ownership of developing, streamlining, and delivering high-quality quarterly and annual reports tailored for leadership audiences, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and actionable insights.
• Compliance & Operational Standards – Ensure that all team activities are conducted in strict adherence to approved company operating policies, procedures, practices, and methods, fostering a culture of accountability and compliance.

Minimum Qualifications

• Educational Background A Master\'s degree is required, with a preference for an MBA (Finance), M.Stat, MSc in Economics. A strong academic record is essential.
• Professional Experience 10+ years of progressive experience in Data Analysis, Business/Finance Operations, and Program Management. Demonstrated ability to build comprehensive reports and dashboards that effectively communicate program progress, priorities, timelines, risks, and mitigation strategies to diverse leadership audiences, including Engineering teams, Operations, and Finance.
• Financial Modeling & Analytical Proficiency Proven expertise in building financial models from scratch and enhancing existing models to support business decision-making. Must possess strong hands-on experience in data analysis with advanced proficiency in tools such as Microsoft Excel and VBA Macros.
• Business Requirements & Product Delivery Strong ability to understand and document detailed use cases and business requirements. Demonstrated experience in clearly articulating functional requirements to engineering teams, conducting thorough testing, and managing the end-to-end release of features and functionalities to end users.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Influence Proven track record of driving desired outcomes through collaborative engagement in matrixed environments where there is no direct authority over processes, tools, or teams. Comfortable working across multiple time zones and managing diverse, globally distributed stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in setting up training and recommending standard methodologies for process efficiency, must have demonstrated influencing without authority skill
• Preferred Technical Skills Proficiency in Tableau for dashboard development and data visualization, along with working knowledge of SQL for data querying and analysis, are considered strong assets and preferred qualifications for this role.
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills, written and verbal, to all levels of an organization
• Experience in delivery of large business improvement projects through the application of Lean Six Sigma (Six sigma certification is preferred)
• Proven working experience in project management/working in project-based environment.