Strategic Projects Lead - STEM

AfterQuery; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

401(k) Match

UberEats stipend

Wellness stipend

Job summary

AfterQuery is an applied research lab in San Francisco building data solutions for foundation model development. You will own and architect core data infrastructure powering our platform, collaborating with a world-class team to push model capabilities forward.

The role emphasizes leadership, research excellence, and entrepreneurial impact, with opportunities to influence how frontier models are trained and evaluated while working with top labs and investors.

Qualifications

• PhD in a STEM field or equivalent excellence as a top competitor in IOI/IMO/USAPhO/USACO/Putnam.
• Background in scientific research, computational modeling, or quantitative analysis in your field.
• Strong quantitative and systems-level reasoning with deep domain fundamentals.
• High agency, work ethic, and ability to define problems with minimal direction.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate cross-domain teams to build high-quality data solutions for foundation models.
• Design dataset specifications that influence model evaluation and improvement.
• Oversee end-to-end project delivery, from scoping to shipping in a fast-paced environment.
• Work across business areas to support operational initiatives for the platform.

Skills

Leadership

Quantitative reasoning

Strong communication

Entrepreneurial mindset

Education

PhD in biology, chemistry, mathematics, data analytics/statistics, or related STEM field

Tools

Python

R

Job description

About AfterQuery

AfterQuery is an applied research lab curating data solutions for foundation model development. We serve every frontier AI lab with the mission of delivering the best data to power the best models. In doing so, we can make expertise that once took a lifetime to build available to anyone who needs it.

Our customers are the ones building the foundation models themselves and our work sits directly in the loop of how those systems improve. This is a rare opportunity to join a company at a defining moment in AI. Forbes reported that we could be YC's fastest unicorn, reportedly raising at a $3.2 billion valuation. We\'re based in San Francisco and backed by leading investors including Altos Ventures, BoxGroup, and Y Combinator and angels from Google DeepMind, OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta Superintelligence Labs, and Microsoft AI.

Why Apply

Massive Opportunity: Forbes reported that we could be YC\'s fastest unicorn, reportedly raising at a $3.2 billion valuation, and we\'re not slowing down.

Founding Impact: You will own and architect core infrastructure systems that power our platform from the ground up.

Equity & Growth: Competitive salary and meaningful equity. As we scale, you\'ll have the opportunity to shape the engineering organization and lead major technical initiatives.

Strong Team: Our founding team has experience from Citadel Securities, Meta, Google, Silver Lake, and Morgan Stanley — work alongside world-class engineers and researchers.

Key Responsibilities

Project and client management: Work with the world’s leading AI organizations to build next-generation data solutions that push the limits of model capability, while directly driving revenue.

Manage expert teams across domains: Lead and coordinate highly specialized contributors across fields like finance, software engineering, law, and more to create high-quality outputs at scale.

Shape how AI systems are trained: Design dataset specifications that directly influence how frontier models are evaluated and improved. Your taste and judgement will shape what foundation models become.

Drive high-impact execution end-to-end: Own critical projects from idea to delivery. From scoping, executing, iterating, and shipping in a fast-moving, high-stakes environment, you will touch it all.

Gain top tier operational experience: Support the team across a range of operational initiatives that will directly contribute to the future of AfterQuery. You will work across multiple parts of the business in the same week, ranging from building, analyzing, coordinating, and executing where needed most.

Required Qualifications

• PhD (completed or ABD) in biology, chemistry, mathematics, data analytics/statistics, or a related STEM field — or equivalent demonstrated excellence as an IOI, IMO, or USAPhO medalist, ICPC or USACO finalist, or Putnam top 500 finisher

• Background in scientific research, computational modeling, experimental design, or quantitative/statistical analysis within your field

• Deep understanding of core fundamentals in your discipline along with strong quantitative and systems-level reasoning

• High agency and strong work ethic; comfort defining problems and thriving with minimal direction in ambiguous situations

• Demonstrated leadership excellence and strong communication abilities

• Genuine passion for AI and an entrepreneurial inclination

• Demonstrated competitive success (e.g., publications, research awards, fellowships, or the medals/finals listed above)

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience with Python, R, or another language used for data analysis

• Familiarity with how LLMs are trained, fine-tuned, or evaluated

• Familiarity with AI tools and workflows

Company Benefits (For Eligible Employees):

• Health Insurance: Medical, Vision, Dental

• 401(k) with Employer Match

• Daily Meals: Daily UberEats Stipend

• Monthly Wellness Stipend

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment. Employment decisions are made without regard to legally protected characteristics under applicable federal, state, or local law.

We comply with applicable pay transparency requirements and provide compensation ranges based on the position, qualifications, experience, and other relevant factors. Reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs, as required by law. This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed and is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications, or working conditions associated with the position. We reserve the right to modify this job description as business needs change.