Strategic Data Sourcing Lead for AI Training Data

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 155,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Vision, Dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid parental leave

Stock purchase plan

Vacation and holidays

Employee discounts

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Manager, Strategic Sourcing (Data Operations) to build and lead SpaceXAI's data operations team in Palo Alto, CA. You will define sourcing strategy, vet high-quality training data, manage vendor relationships, and collaborate with research to close model gaps and improve performance.

You will oversee global suppliers, negotiate major data-related agreements, and drive standardized processes to hit cost, quality, and delivery targets while contributing to SpaceXAI’s mission.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 4+ years of experience in business, supply chain, engineering, procurement, strategy and operations, or technology
• Experience in AI training data, datasets, and how dataset quality affects model performance
• Experience in fast-paced AI, ML, or data infrastructure environments
• Background building or managing global supplier networks for services, data, or other high-variability commodities
• Strong leadership, negotiation, analytical, and cross-functional skills
• Proven ability to secure supply and manage cost, quality, and delivery against aggressive targets
• Experience with data analysis, spend analysis, and performance metrics
• Passion for SpaceXAI’s mission

Responsibilities

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing sourcing team focused on acquiring high-quality data that aligns with research needs and model performance
• Source and co-develop datasets with vendor partners to meet the increasing complexity of our models
• Oversee the global supplier network, including end-to-end sourcing and supplier qualification, to meet acquisition and delivery targets
• Negotiate major agreements covering pricing, volume, quality, exclusivity, and delivery reliability, committing budget only to datasets that meaningfully improve model performance
• Continuously improve, standardize, and scale sourcing processes, workflows, tools, and planning systems
• Track team and category KPIs and provide regular updates and recommendations to senior leadership

Job description

SpaceX is seeking a Manager, Strategic Sourcing (Data Operations) to build and lead SpaceXAI's data operations team in Palo Alto, CA. You will define sourcing strategy, vet high-quality training data, manage vendor relationships, and collaborate with research to close model gaps and improve performance.

You will oversee global suppliers, negotiate major data-related agreements, and drive standardized processes to hit cost, quality, and delivery targets while contributing to SpaceXAI’s mission.