Strategic Projects Lead

AI Talent Now; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

AI Talent Now, based in San Francisco, is looking for a driven professional to manage AI research projects. You will work closely with leading AI labs to create datasets that push AI boundaries while managing teams and supporting operational initiatives.

The ideal candidate has at least 2 years of relevant experience, excels in client management, and is ready to deliver high-quality projects under tight deadlines.

Expect a fast-paced environment with a commitment of 60+ hours per week when necessary.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in consulting, investment banking, private equity, or project management.
• Experience in a client-facing, high-ownership role.
• Track record of delivering high-quality work under tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Work with leading AI labs to generate next-generation datasets.
• Manage teams across various domains.
• Collaborate with internal teams on AI research.
• Drive company initiatives as an early hire.
• Support operational initiatives.

Skills

Client management

Project execution

Communication

High agency

Education

Degree from a top-tier university

Job description

San Francisco, United States | Posted on 06/15/2026

AI Talent Now, LLC is a powerhouse in direct‑hire talent acquisition, connecting exceptional talent with industry‑leading organizations across IT, Engineering, Financial Services & Fintech, and Manufacturing & Robotics. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, we proudly serve clients and candidates nationwide.

Job Description

AI Talent Now Job #ZR 73

This dynamic client is helping push the frontier of LLMs and AI Agents through novel datasets and experimentation. We work on building the most complex infrastructure that powers frontier data creation for agentic and hard‑reasoning workflows. We work with all 5 of the leading AI labs and are becoming the go‑to partner for data infrastructure for YC companies. We have a sharp growth rate and are extremely talent‑dense, with most of our founding team coming from top IB and quant firms.

We are seeking a highly driven individual with experience in a high‑intensity environment like management consulting, investment banking, or a fast‑paced startup. You should be comfortable owning client relationships and project execution from end-to-end, with a track record of delivering high‑quality work under tight deadlines. We’re looking for someone who is scrappy, hungry, and willing to grind to push the frontiers of AI.

What you'll do

• Work closely with the world’s leading AI labs to generate next‑generation datasets to push the boundaries of AI and directly generate revenue for the company
• Manage teams of experts across a wide variety of domains, like finance, software engineering, and sciences
• Collaborate with internal teams to develop groundbreaking AI research
• Drive initiatives across the company as an early hire
• Support the team across various operational initiatives

Requirements

• 2+ years of experience in consulting, IB, PE, PM, or similar roles
• Experience in a client‑facing, high‑ownership role like consulting, IB, or PE (preferably top firms)
• Experience at top IB/PE firm, MBB, or tier‑2 strategy consulting firm
• Degree from a top‑tier university (unless experiences are standout)
• Strong communication and client management skills
• High agency and ability to own projects end‑to‑end
• Willing to work 60+ hours per week if needed