Human Intelligence Collector (HUMINT)

Confidential; United States; Remote; USD 83,000 - 131,000; Full time

Job summary

Zekai is seeking a Human Intelligence Collector (HUMINT) for a 100% remote contractor role. Applicants should have strong interviewing expertise to support training of next-generation AI systems, with emphasis on elicitation, analysis of tone and nonverbal cues, and clear written reporting for technical audiences.

The position focuses on real-world input collection, structured sessions, and maintaining objective, defensible assessments across multiple cases, with flexibility for US-based remote

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of professional interviewing or intelligence elicitation.
• Familiarity with recognized interviewing methodologies (e.g., PEACE).
• Ability to justify reads in writing with clarity and defensibility.

Responsibilities

• Conduct or assess structured elicitation and interview sessions to extract accurate information.
• Establish rapport to encourage open communication without pressure.
• Analyze responses in real-time, adjusting questioning strategies.
• Assess consistency and potential evasiveness, providing confidence assessments.
• Identify emotional and motivational drivers influencing responses.
• Document analytical reasoning in a traceable manner for review.
• Score or annotate sessions using a detailed rubric for consistency.

Skills

Interviewing experience

PEACE method knowledge

Nonverbal cue analysis

Job description

Role Title: Human Intelligence Collector (HUMINT)

Role Type: Contractor (at least ~15 hs a week)

Location: Remote, US-based preferred.

our partner is engaging Human Intelligence Collectors to contribute their expertise in elicitation and investigative questioning on a specialized customer project. In this role, you'll apply your expertise to help train next-generation AI systems. Your work will shape how models learn, reason, and perform through high-quality, real-world input. No prior experience in AI is required - your domain knowledge is what matters. This opportunity is ideal for those with a background in complex interviewing or intelligence collection, and a keen ability to interpret subtle verbal and behavioral cues. Your written and verbal communication skills will play a pivotal role as you document your reasoning and analysis for technical and non-specialist audiences alike.

Scope of Work

• Conduct or assess structured elicitation and interview sessions to extract accurate and relevant information from varied subjects
• Establish rapport with participants to encourage open communication without applying pressure or coercion
• Analyze responses in real-time, reading tone, pacing, and nonverbal cues, and dynamically adjusting questioning strategies
• Assess the internal consistency, reliability, and potential evasiveness of responses, providing confidence assessments for each interaction
• Identify and annotate emotional and motivational drivers influencing participants' responses
• Document your analytical reasoning in a clear, traceable manner to support downstream review and learning
• Score or annotate sessions according to a detailed rubric, maintaining objectivity and consistency across multiple cases

Preferred Qualifications

• 3-5+ years of experience in professional interviewing, intelligence elicitation, or investigative questioning (e.g., military HUMINT, law-enforcement interviewing, skilled negotiation)
• Training in recognized interviewing methodologies such as the PEACE model, cognitive interviewing, or similar frameworks
• Expertise in real-time interpretation of paralinguistic and nonverbal cues (tone, pacing, hesitation, gestures)
• Demonstrated ability to clearly justify analytical reads in writing, not just by intuition
• Exceptional written English skills with a focus on clarity, precision, and defensibility
• Experience working with diverse populations or through interpreters
• Familiarity with data annotation, AI model evaluation, or after-action/assessment report writing

This is a 100% remote contract role, open to applicants worldwide in the countries the employer accepts.