Senior Director, Frontier AI Operations

Morpheus Talent Solutions; United States; On-site; USD 250,000 - 330,000; Full time

Job summary

Morpheus Talent Solutions is seeking a founder-level operations leader to run the frontier AI division in the US. You will design and own the operating model, partnering with global delivery, and you’ll drive end-to-end processes for tasking, training and evaluation-as-a-service.

This is a revenue-critical role with significant autonomy and strategic impact. You will decide on what to build, buy or source for the operational stack, and collaborate with researchers, ML engineers and data

Qualifications

• Direct experience from a frontier AI business and knowledge of operational models.
• Clear point of view on build vs buy with speed to decision.
• Understanding that frontier tasking differs from traditional data labeling or engineering delivery.

Responsibilities

• Design and stand up the operational processes for frontier tasking, training and evaluation-as-a-service.
• Own the operating model for the division and align with global delivery.
• Decide what to build, buy or source for the operational stack and move quickly on it.
• Assess capabilities across the wider organization and bring in fit-for-purpose solutions.
• Think beyond coding-centric tasking to multiple modalities and evaluation services.
• Collaborate with engineering, delivery and commercial teams to package capabilities.
• Partner with the GM on sourcing, planning and prioritisation.
• Operate independently day to day and escalate only where genuinely needed.

Skills

Frontier AI experience

Build vs buy judgment

Multimodal thinking

Executive presence

Technical engagement with researchers/

Job description

Salary: $250k - $330k base, with total compensation of around $700k including bonus and shares

Full-time

Morpheus are partnered with a global technology services business that is building a frontier AI division from the ground up. This is a founding role in a new business line, backed by the scale and client relationships of an established organisation. You will shape the operating model from day one rather than step into an existing structure.

The role

You will report directly to the GM of the division and work closely with them to define how the business runs operationally. This is a revenue-critical hire with real autonomy and ownership. Leadership wants someone who builds and leads with conviction and does not wait for direction.

Your remit is the operational engine behind frontier tasking, training and evaluation-as-a-service. This work is fundamentally different from traditional engineering or data labeling delivery, and you will design the processes accordingly.

What you’ll do

• Design and stand up the operational processes for frontier tasking, training and evaluation-as-a-service
• Own the operating model for the business, partnering with the existing global delivery organisation so the division has the structure it needs to compete and win
• Decide what to build, buy or source for the operational stack, including the tasking engine, DataOps and training and evaluation infrastructure, and move quickly on it
• Assess existing capabilities, teams, platforms and processes across the wider organisation, and bring in what fits the new model
• Think beyond coding-centric tasking to multiple modalities and a broader evaluation services offering
• Work across engineering, delivery and commercial teams to package and position existing capabilities for the frontier build
• Partner with the GM on sourcing, planning and prioritisation
• Operate independently day to day and elevate? Wait correct content: 'Operate independently day to day and escalate only where genuinely needed'

What you bring

• Direct experience from a frontier AI business (think Scale AI, Surge AI or similar), with first-hand knowledge of what the operational model looks like
• A clear point of view on build versus buy, and the ability to move fast on that judgment
• A real understanding that frontier tasking is different from traditional data labeling or engineering delivery
• A multimodal mindset, thinking beyond coding tasks to other modalities and evaluation services
• Strong executive presence, with the confidence to advocate for the right operating model and the collaborative skill to bring others along
• The credibility to engage deeply technical teams and senior stakeholders equally
• Comfort talking at a technical level with researchers, ML engineers and data scientists
• A builder’s orientation: you want to create something new rather than replicate an existing delivery model

Nice to have

• Experience as an internal buyer of data, annotation or training services at a frontier lab
• Familiarity with sovereign AI programs or enterprise agentic AI integration
• An established network across frontier AI labs, hyperscalers or AI-native services businesses
• Willingness to travel to support a distributed team and key stakeholders

Package

• $250k - $330k base
• Total compensation of around $700k including bonus and shares