Delivery Lead - AI Data Projects

Toloka; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully remote schedule

Competitive compensation

International team

Job summary

Toloka AI is seeking a Delivery Lead to own end-to-end AI data project delivery across a diverse client portfolio. This hands-on role blends project leadership, client management, and operational excellence to ensure projects are delivered on time and within margins.

You will lead cross-functional teams, coordinate engineers, researchers, and product groups, and build strong client relationships while driving continuous delivery improvements in a remote-first, globally distributed environment.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading AI data projects for startups or tech clients.
• Strong client-facing and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Deep understanding of AI, GenAI, statistics, ML, and data science fundamentals.
• Background in STEM with degree in CS, math, physics, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end delivery across a portfolio of AI data projects.
• Lead cross-functional delivery teams and project managers.
• Drive operational excellence, planning, and reporting across projects.
• Build and sustain strong client relationships and manage expectations.

Skills

AI experience

Project leadership

Client facing

GenAI knowledge

STEM background

Education

BS/MS in STEM fields

Job description

At Toloka AI we create data that powers leading GenAI models and innovations. We work with frontier labs, big tech, renowned AI startups, enterprises and non-profit research organizations worldwide. We use a combination of Experts + Crowd + Tech Platform to teach AI models to reason and evaluate their efficacy and safety. We have experts in more than 50 different domains—from doctors and lawyers to physicists and engineers—and boast one of the most diverse global crowds, representing over 100 countries and speaking 40+ languages. We are a well-funded startup with an enviable portfolio of clients including Anthropic, Amazon, Microsoft, poolside, Recraft, and Shopify.

Recently, we secured strategic investment led by Bezos Expeditions with participation from Mikhail Parakhin, CTO of Shopify and board advisor to leading GenAI companies, who now serves as our Chairman of the Board. Our remote-first team is globally distributed around the world: USA, UK, the Netherlands, Serbia, and more. We are headquartered in Amsterdam.

About the position

We are seeking an exceptional Delivery Lead to own the successful execution of complex AI data projects across a portfolio of clients. This is a hands‑on role combining project leadership, client management, and operational excellence to ensure projects are delivered to the highest standards of quality, on time, and within target margins.

As a Delivery Lead, you will manage virtual, cross-functional teams and coordinate engineers, supply managers, researchers, science teams, product teams, and other internal functions as required. You will work closely with clients to understand their requirements, manage expectations, resolve issues, and ensure delivery consistently meets or exceeds expectations.

The role requires someone who can operate comfortably at both the strategic and operational level, taking ownership of the overall delivery outcome while being prepared to get into the detail when required.

Key Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end delivery across a complex portfolio of projects, taking ultimate accountability for data quality, timelines, client outcomes, unit economics, gross margin, and transparent stakeholder reporting.
• Lead cross-functional delivery teams and project managers, ensuring projects remain on track, risks and issues are proactively identified and resolved, and stepping in as a hands‑on Delivery Project Manager when required.
• Drive operational excellence across the delivery function, overseeing planning, resource allocation, internal and external communication, project reporting, status updates, retrospectives, and execution standards.
• Partner closely with Business Development to scope new opportunities, shape project proposals, optimize delivery models, and successfully transition prospects into high‑quality, commercially viable engagements.
• Build strong client relationships throughout project execution, managing complex technical stakeholders, maintaining clear communication, addressing delivery challenges, and ensuring outcomes that drive client satisfaction and retention.
• Drive team performance and continuous improvement, motivating delivery teams, identifying opportunities to increase efficiency, improving processes and workflows, and developing new approaches to enhance execution quality.
• Lead the adoption of delivery improvements, rolling out new processes, tools, and ways of working across the organization while gathering feedback, measuring impact, and continuously refining the delivery model.

Required Skills

• Proven experience in the AI space, particularly within startups, including working with clients and managing teams or projects at scale.
• Experience managing complex projects including discovery, decomposition, scope planning, implementation and adoption
• Client facing experience; a consulting background reaching levels of Engagement Manager or Associate Partner
• Deep understanding of AI and GenAI: technology and market trends, basic knowledge of statistics, ML and data science, data generation
• Background in STEM: BS or MS in computer science, maths, physics, etc.

What we can offer

• You will be part of an international, dynamic environment that drives innovation and sets new standards in the AI and technology sector.
• Competitive compensation package.
• Flexible, fully remote schedule.
• Work at the leading edge of AI development, alongside a dedicated and dynamic team of experts.
• Projects with customers that are AI industry leaders and well‑known household names

Equal Opportunity Employer

Toloka is committed to providing equal opportunity and fostering an inclusive environment. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Selection decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business need.

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