Strategic Project Lead

Mercor

New York (NY)

On-site

USD 120,000 - 200,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Aggressive bi-annual performance bonus structure

Generous equity grant vested over 4 years

Up to $15k Relocation bonus

Health, Dental, Vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Free Equinox membership

$1.5k monthly stipend for meals

$200 monthly laundry reimbursement

$200 monthly personal wellness reimbursement

Job summary

Mercor is looking for a highly motivated Senior Project Lead (SPL) in New York City to drive multi-million dollar projects in AI operations. The SPL will manage over 1,000 contributors and ensure flawless execution under tight deadlines. Candidates should have strong analytical and communication skills, experience in high-pressure environments, and be customer-focused. Compensation ranges from $120K to $200K, with additional bonuses and benefits, including equity and relocation assistance.

Qualifications

Background in consulting, finance, startups, or other operationally intense environments.
Strong analytical and communication abilities; proven track record of managing complex projects.
Comfortable working directly with high-profile clients.
Excited by gritty process optimization and large-scale execution.

Responsibilities

Drive the tactical execution of multi‑million‑dollar projects.
Build deep client relationships with researchers at top AI labs.
Orchestrate the work of 1,000+ contributors.
Run daily internal syncs to stay ahead of issues.

Skills

Strong analytical and communication abilities

Proven track record of managing complex projects

Experience in consulting, finance, startups, or operationally intense environments

Customer-facing experience

Process optimization mindset

Job description

About Mercor

Mercor's mission is to organize human intelligence to power the AI economy. We partner with leading AI labs and enterprises to provide the human intelligence essential to AI development. Our vast talent network trains frontier AI models in the same way teachers teach students: by sharing knowledge, experience, and context that can't be captured in code alone. Today, more than 30,000 experts in our network collectively earn over $2 million a day.

Mercor is creating a new category of work where expertise powers AI advancement. Achieving this requires an ambitious, fast‑paced and deeply committed team. You’ll work alongside researchers, operators, and AI companies at the forefront of shaping the systems that are redefining society. Mercor is a profitable Series C company valued at $10 billion. We work in‑person five days a week in our San Francisco, NYC, or London offices.

About The Role

Silicon Valley’s leading AI companies partner with Mercor to scale high‑quality data operations. As an SPL, you will:

Drive the tactical execution of multi‑million‑dollar projects.
Build deep client relationships with researchers at top AI labs.
Orchestrate the work of 1,000+ contributors.
Ensure flawless operational execution under demanding timelines.

This is a hands‑on operations role for candidates excited by process optimization, rapid iteration, and high‑intensity problem solving. We're an early‑stage startup that operates with intensity. That means occasionally being responsive on weekends and always holding a high bar for output. The upside — performance incentives, career trajectory, and meaningful equity — reflects that.

Core Responsibilities

Operational Excellence

Design and manage end‑to‑end data pipelines, from customer specifications to final delivery.
Diagnose bottlenecks, restructure workflows, and implement solutions that improve quality, throughput, and cost‑efficiency.
Examples include: creating incentive systems, re‑sequencing workflows, refining instructions, and scaling review processes.

Customer Relationships

Act as the primary point of contact for leading AI labs.
Deliver clear, consistent reporting and proactively anticipate client needs.
Build long‑term trust and identify opportunities for expansion.

Large‑Scale Coordination

Manage 1,000+ distributed contributors in Slack‑based workspaces.
Source, vet, train, and performance‑manage domain experts.
Maintain high execution standards across all stages of production.

Quality Reporting

Run daily internal syncs (“war rooms”) to stay ahead of issues.
Provide regular, transparent progress updates to customers.

What We’re Looking For

Experience: Background in consulting, finance, startups, or other operationally intense environments.
Skills: Strong analytical and communication abilities; proven track record of managing complex projects.
Customer‑Facing Experience: Comfortable working directly with high‑profile clients.
Mindset: Excited by “gritty” process optimization and large‑scale execution.

Key Facts

SPLs generate $10 M+ in project revenue annually.
Customer requests are high‑pressure and time‑sensitive (e.g., onboarding 1,000 contributors in 3 days, delivering 10+ hours of quality data per contributor within 48 hours).
The role is explicitly operations‑focused—not strategy, product, or GTM.

Growth Path

SPLs begin as individual contributors, running projects end‑to‑end.
High performers may advance to Senior SPL (SSPL) roles, managing multiple projects and teams of SPLs.

Compensation