Data Operations Lead

Stack AV Co; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Stack AV Co is seeking a Data Operations Lead to oversee Mapping, Labeling, Triage, and future data-centric teams within the Data Operations group. You will partner with Product, Autonomy, and Systems Engineering to align data requirements and deliver high-fidelity data products for the autonomous system.

You will manage a globally distributed workforce and external vendors, drive tooling automation, and leverage analytics to improve throughput and data quality across mappings and annotations.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of Operations Management or related experience.
• Leadership experience directing multi-disciplinary data-centric teams.
• Experience managing globally distributed workforce vendors and BPO strategies.
• Proven ability to architect and scale complex, heavily data-driven operational workflows.
• Strong data analysis acumen, including building and reporting on business metrics.
• Prior experience in an Autonomous Vehicle or Robotics company is preferred but not required.
• Deep understanding of ML training for Perception models, HD mapping concepts, data infrastructure, and visualization tooling.

Responsibilities

• Lead and scale the Data Operations organization within Product Development, encompassing Mapping, Labeling, Triage, and future operational teams.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders to define, standardize, and refine data ontologies, operator policies, and data specifications.
• Optimize workflows to deliver high volume of quality data (labels, maps, triage) meeting complex customer needs continuously.
• Manage vendor relationships including contract negotiation, budget management, training, and policy adherence.
• Drive automation by defining requirements for next-generation tooling to reduce manual overhead.
• Utilize data analytics to identify opportunities for continuous improvement in operational workflows, throughput, and quality control processes.

Job description

About Stack

Stack is developing revolutionary AI and advanced autonomous systems designed to enhance safety, reliability, and efficiency of modern operations. Stack's autonomous technology incorporates cutting-edge advancements in artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, and cloud technologies, empowering us to create innovative solutions that address the needs and challenges of the dynamic trucking transportation industry. With decades of experience creating and deploying real world systems for demanding environments, the Stack team is dedicated to developing an autonomous solution ecosystem tailored to the trucking industry's unique demands.

Stack is developing revolutionary AI and advanced autonomous systems designed to enhance safety, reliability, and efficiency of modern operations. Stack's autonomous technology incorporates cutting-edge advancements in artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, and cloud technologies, empowering us to create innovative solutions that address the needs and challenges of the dynamic trucking transportation industry. With decades of experience creating and deploying real world systems for demanding environments, the Stack team is dedicated to developing an autonomous solution ecosystem tailored to the trucking industry's unique demands.

If you are an Internal Candidate, please apply via our Internal Job Board.

About The Role

The Data Operations organization is responsible for ensuring a high throughput of quality data critical to the development and validation of our Self Driving System. As the Data Operations Lead, you will oversee and scale multiple pivotal functional areas, including Mapping Operations, Labeling Operations, Triage Operations, and other future data centric operational teams as the company expands. In this leadership role, you will manage metrics driven internal teams as well as external vendors responsible for delivering high-fidelity maps, annotated sensor data, and accurate triage analysis. You will partner closely with Product, Autonomy, and Systems Engineering teams to identify and define cross-functional requirements, ensuring efficient tooling and automation to streamline workflows across all your verticals. This is a highly impactful leadership role essential to the ongoing development, validation, and deployment of our Autonomy System, requiring broad collaboration across Stack.

Responsibilities

• Lead and Scale: Direct the Data Operations organization within Product Development, encompassing Mapping, Labeling, Triage, and future operational teams.
• Collaborate on Strategy: Partner with key stakeholders across the organization to define, standardize, and continually refine data ontologies, operator policies, and data specifications.
• Optimize Workflows: Ensure efficient workflows and policies are established to deliver a high volume of quality data (labels, maps, and triage annotations) that meet complex customer needs on a continuous basis.
• Manage Vendor Relationships: Oversee all aspects of strategic vendor relationships and partner organizations responsible for ground truth labeling, map generation, and operational tasks, including contract negotiation, budget management, training, and policy adherence.
• Drive Automation: Partner with internal tooling and infrastructure teams to define requirements for next-generation tooling and automation to reduce manual operational overhead.
• Data Driven Improvement: Utilize data analytics to identify opportunities for continuous improvement in operational workflows, throughput, and quality control processes.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of Operations Management or related experience, with a track record of leading data centric organizations.
• Significant leadership experience directing multi-disciplinary teams responsible for data annotation, mapping operations, triage, or related functions.
• Demonstrated expertise in managing globally distributed workforce vendors and establishing robust BPO strategies.
• Proven ability to architect, implement, and scale complex, heavily data-driven operational workflows.
• Strong data analysis acumen, including experience conceptualizing, building, and reporting on organizational-level business metrics.
• Prior experience working in an Autonomous Vehicle (AV) or Robotics company is strongly preferred, but not required.
• Deep functional understanding of ML training for Perception models, HD mapping concepts, data infrastructure, and visualization tooling.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We believe that diverse teams produce the best ideas and outcomes. We are committed to building a culture of inclusion, entrepreneurship, and innovation across gender, race, age, sexual orientation, religion, disability, and identity.

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Please Note: Pursuant to its business activities and use of technology, Stack AV complies with all applicable U.S. national security laws, regulations, and administrative requirements, which can restrict Stack AV’s ability to employ certain persons in certain positions pursuant to a range of national security-related requirements. As such, this position may be contingent upon Stack AV verifying a candidate’s residence, U.S. person status, and/or citizenship status. This position may also involve working with software and technologies subject to U.S. export control regulations. Under these regulations, it may be necessary for Stack AV to obtain a U.S. government export license prior to releasing its technologies to certain persons. If Stack AV determines that a candidate’s residence, U.S. person status, and/or citizenship status will require a license, prohibit the candidate from working in this position, or otherwise be subject to national security-related restrictions, Stack AV expressly reserves the right to either consider the candidate for a different position that is not subject to such restrictions, on whatever terms and conditions Stack AV shall establish in its sole discretion, or, in the alternative, decline to move forward with the candidate’s application.