Strategic Projects Lead, Managed Services

Prolific Academic Ltd; United States; Remote; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Prolific Academic Ltd is seeking a Strategic Projects Lead to oversee complex client programmes in AI and human data initiatives. You will own client engagements end-to-end, translate requirements into actionable delivery plans, and lead cross-functional teams across Prolific to ensure successful outcomes.

The role blends client management with deep understanding of AI projects, requiring comfort with ambiguity, fast-moving delivery, and a hands-on approach to solving problems while optimizing

Qualifications

• Experience leading complex client projects or programmes in AI/Human data environments.
• Strong understanding of AI technologies and AI/ML development lifecycle including data collection/annotation/evaluation.
• Proven ability to manage client relationships and translate requirements into executable plans.
• Hands-on delivery mindset with problem-solving focus and detail orientation.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end delivery of complex AI projects from requirements to completion.
• Serve as primary client contact, maintaining strong relationships and clear communication.
• Translate evolving client requirements into clear scopes, plans, and success criteria.
• Collaborate with Sales, Operations, Product and Engineering to coordinate resources and address delivery challenges.
• Monitor risks and issues, keeping delivery on track and within budgets and timelines.
• Track delivery metrics and identify opportunities to improve outcomes and profitability.

Skills

Client management

AI/ML understanding

Project delivery

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

Strategic Projects Lead, Managed Services

Team: Client Services

Prolific isn’t just enabling AI innovation – we’re redefining it. While foundational AI technologies are becoming commoditized, Prolific’s human data infrastructure provides the high-quality, diverse data required to train the next generation of AI models. Through our platform, we empower researchers and companies to access a global, ethically curated participant base, ensuring cutting‑edge AI research and training grounded in inclusivity and precision.

The Role

As a Strategic projects lead focused on AI projects, you’ll play a key role in delivering some of Prolific’s most important and complex client programmes.
You’ll own client engagements end to end, working directly with clients to understand what they’re trying to achieve and translating their requirements into successful human data programmes. You’ll bring together teams across Prolific to deliver the right solution, while owning the client relationship, project execution and overall success of the engagement.
This is a hands‑on role in a fast‑moving area of AI. Projects can be complex and requirements can evolve quickly, so you’ll need to be comfortable working through ambiguity, getting into the detail when needed and making sound decisions to keep delivery moving.
You’ll combine strong client management with an understanding of AI and human data workflows, helping us deliver excellent work for our clients while continuing to improve how we deliver AI projects at scale.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Own the end‑to‑end delivery of complex AI projects, from understanding client requirements and shaping the delivery approach through to execution and completion.
• Act as the primary point of contact for your clients, building strong relationships and providing clear, consistent communication throughout the project lifecycle.
• Work with clients to translate complex or evolving requirements into clear project scopes, delivery plans, success criteria and practical solutions.
• Partner closely with Sales, Operations, Product and Engineering to coordinate resources, solve delivery challenges and ensure projects meet both client and Prolific goals.
• Stay close to project execution, identifying risks or issues early and working through problems directly to keep delivery on track.
• Own and track key delivery metrics including quality, timelines, budgets and profitability, using project data to identify opportunities to improve outcomes.
• Help improve the way we deliver AI projects, developing more effective and scalable processes, tools and ways of working as our client base grows.

What You’ll Bring to the Role

• 3–6+ years of experience managing complex client projects or programmes, ideally within AI/ML, human data, data services or another technical environment.
• A solid understanding of AI technologies and the AI/ML development lifecycle, including familiarity with areas such as data collection, annotation, evaluation or validation.
• Strong client‑facing skills, with experience building trusted relationships and communicating effectively with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Experience taking complex or ambiguous client requirements and turning them into clear, executable plans and successful outcomes.
• A hands‑on approach to delivery and problem‑solving, with the ability to get into the detail, identify what’s going wrong and drive solutions forward.
• Strong analytical and commercial judgement, with experience managing project KPIs, budgets, profitability, quality and delivery performance.
• Proven ability to lead across teams, align different stakeholders and operate effectively in a fast‑moving environment where priorities and requirements can change.

Why Prolific is a great place to work

We’ve built a unique platform that connects researchers and companies with a global pool of participants, enabling the collection of high‑quality, ethically sourced human behavioural data and feedback. This data is the cornerstone of developing more accurate, nuanced, and aligned AI systems.

We believe that the next leap in AI capabilities won’t come solely from scaling existing models, but from integrating diverse human perspectives and behaviours into AI development. By providing this crucial human data infrastructure, Prolific is positioning itself at the forefront of the next wave of AI innovation – one that reflects the breath and the best of humanity.

Working for us will place you at the forefront of AI innovation, providing access to our unique human data platform and opportunities for groundbreaking research.

Join us to enjoy a competitive salary, benefits, and remote working within our impactful, mission‑driven culture. At Prolific, our compensation packages for eligible roles include base salary, equity, and benefits. Many roles also include the opportunity to earn a cash variable element, such as a bonus or commission. Each job posting shows a salary range that reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hires, based on the role’s location as well as your skills, experience, and relevant education or training. You can check the job posting’s subtitle to see where the position is based. Your recruiter will also be happy to share the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

Why Prolific is a great place to work

We’ve built a unique platform that connects researchers and companies with a global pool of participants, enabling the collection of high‑quality, ethically sourced human behavioural data and feedback. This data is the cornerstone of developing more accurate, nuanced, and aligned AI systems.

We believe that the next leap in AI capabilities won’t come solely from scaling existing models, but from integrating diverse human perspectives and behaviours into AI development. By providing this crucial human data infrastructure, Prolific is positioning itself at the forefront of the next wave of AI innovation – one that reflects the breath and the best of humanity.

Working for us will place you at the forefront of AI innovation, providing access to our unique human data platform and opportunities for groundbreaking research.

Join us to enjoy a competitive salary, benefits, and remote working within our impactful, mission‑driven culture. At Prolific, our compensation packages for eligible roles include base salary, equity, and benefits. Many roles also include the opportunity to earn a cash variable element, such as a bonus or commission. Each job posting shows a salary range that reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hires, based on the role’s location as well as your skills, experience, and relevant education or training. You can check the job posting’s subtitle to see where the position is based. Your recruiter will also be happy to share the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

For pay transparency, the base salary range for this full‑time role in San Francisco or New York is $150,000-$200,000 per annum and negotiable for other states.

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