Moderator | Onsite Data Collection

Toloka; New York (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 103,000; Full time

Job summary

Toloka AI in New York City is seeking friendly, tech-capable moderators to guide participants through in-person data collection sessions. You’ll welcome participants, explain each task clearly and run sessions on iOS devices and a laptop terminal to ensure accuracy and timely completion.

This role suits someone with a customer-service background who enjoys technology and working with diverse people. It is a self-employed, fully onsite contractor engagement via Ontop with 4–5 days per week and

Qualifications

• Fluent English and clear, professional communication.
• Experience in customer service, hospitality, or participant-facing roles.
• Comfort using iPhones/iPads and basic device troubleshooting.
• Ability to open a terminal and run commands from written instructions (no coding).
• Strong attention to detail and ability to follow procedures.
• Reliable, punctual, and able to manage scheduled sessions.
• Good interpersonal skills to guide participants patiently.

Responsibilities

• Welcome participants, confirm check-in, and explain session instructions in English.
• Set up and operate iOS devices, adjust language/region settings, and troubleshoot issues.
• Run scripts from a terminal following a provided guide and confirm successful sessions.
• Keep sessions on task, on schedule, and handle questions professionally.
• Log session details and report issues to the onsite project lead, following privacy procedures.

Skills

Fluent English

Customer service

Interpersonal skills

Attention to detail

Punctuality

Reliability

Communication skills

Job description

Company Intro

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 role

We’re looking for friendly, tech-comfortable moderators to guide participants through in-person data collection sessions. You’ll welcome participants, explain each task clearly and guide participants through the process, run the session on iOS devices and a laptop terminal, and make sure every session is completed accurately and on time. This role suits someone with a customer-service background who enjoys working with technology and people from many backgrounds.

What you’ll do

• Welcome participants, confirm their check-in, and clearly explain session instructions in English.
• Set up and operate iOS devices for each session, including switching device language and region settings, and troubleshoot basic device issues.
• Run provided scripts from a terminal window by following a step-by-step guide, then confirm each session completed successfully.
• Keep participants comfortable, on task, and on schedule, and handle questions with patience and professionalism.
• Log session details, report technical or participant issues to the onsite project lead, and follow data privacy and quality procedures.

Additional Languages: A Plus

Knowledge of additional languages is a plus but not required. Professional or fluent proficiency in one or more of the following languages is an advantage: French (France), Japanese , Korean , European Portuguese (Portugal), German (Germany or Austria), Dutch , Swedish , Arabic , Hebrew , or Polish. Candidates with proficiency in multiple listed languages are especially encouraged to apply.

What we’re looking for

• Fluent English and the ability to communicate clearly and professionally.
• Experience in customer service, hospitality, front-desk operations, or other participant-facing roles.
• Comfort using iPhones or iPads, including navigating settings, managing apps, and performing basic troubleshooting.
• Ability to open a terminal and run commands or scripts from written instructions. No coding is required, and training is provided.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to follow procedures accurately.
• Reliability, punctuality, and a responsible approach to scheduled sessions.
• Good interpersonal skills and the ability to guide participants patiently and professionally.
• Availability to work onsite in NYC as soon as possible, with interest in continuing on a month-to-month basis.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with macOS.
• Experience with user research, usability testing, data collection, or consumer studies.
• Experience working with right-to-left languages, such as Arabic or Hebrew, on iOS devices.

Additional Relevant Experience

Experience in one or more of the following areas is a plus:

• Assistant Director or Production Assistant experience: Experience coordinating personnel, managing schedules, tracking daily progress, and executing established protocols.
• Event or Logistics Coordination: Experience coordinating multiple moving parts, including vendor coordination, one-on-one communication with personnel, onboarding, and scheduling.
• Project Management: Experience enforcing technical and non-technical protocols, maintaining strong organizational practices, and working directly with non-technical stakeholders to explain processes clearly

Details & Schedule

• Location: New York City, NY. The initial worksite will be confirmed with selected candidates. The project is expected to continue at a new NYC location on a month-to-month basis.
• Type & Work Arrangement: self-employed, temporary contractor engagement via Ontop, fully onsite (no remote work available).
• Schedule & Shift Rotation: 4–5 days per week , approximately 36–44 hours per week. The site operates six days per week, with shifts scheduled on a rotating basis. The weekly schedule will be shared in advance. Weekend availability is required.Reasonable accommodations, including for religious observance, are available upon request.
• Daily Operations: Moderators will work at dedicated stations to support scheduled participant sessions. The team currently targets approximately nine participant sessions per day.
• Compensation: $65 - 75 per hour, depending on relevant experience, skills, and qualifications.

To learn how we collect, use, disclose, and store personal data, check out our Privacy Notice.