AI Data Quality Team Lead - Hands-On Leader

Lever, Inc.; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Equity participation

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) plan for US-based positions

Disability and life insurance

Paid sick leave

Flexible remote-work opportunities

Challenging AI environment

Opportunity to lead high-performing AI

Location-based compensation details

Job summary

Lever, Inc. is seeking an Expert Team Lead, SWE based in South Africa to lead a team of AI Tutors and stay hands-on with labeling, evaluation, and quality improvements. You will drive quality standards and scalable processes while collaborating with data managers and engineers to translate model requirements into effective data pipelines.

This fast-paced, autonomous role rewards continuous improvement and strong leadership in building high-performing teams for AI training and evaluation.

Qualifications

• 1+ years of hands-on experience in data labeling, annotation, AI training or evaluation, content quality, or a comparable operational discipline.
• Professional experience building or contributing to scalable, high-performance technology applications, particularly in software engineering or another technical environment.
• Demonstrated understanding of data quality metrics, annotation workflows, guideline-driven processes, and quality assurance practices.
• Basic knowledge of artificial intelligence and machine learning concepts, including how high-quality training and evaluation data influences model performance.
• Experience with people management, coaching, training-program development, performance management, or certification frameworks.
• Previous experience leading small teams in data labeling, annotation, technical operations, or related environments is strongly preferred.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritize effectively, and operate successfully in a fast-moving environment.
• Strong analytical capabilities and familiarity with KPI-driven operational improvement; SQL experience is a plus.
• Experience working with distributed teams or mixed employment models, including full-time employees and contractors, is advantageous.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex information clearly, build rapport, and align diverse stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills, meticulous attention to detail, proactive problem-solving abilities, and a continuous-improvement mindset.
• Ability to combine strategic thinking with hands-on execution and a willingness to remain directly involved in technical and operational work.
• Strong expertise in at least one relevant technical or specialist domain, such as finance, STEM, coding/software engineering, or another technical field.
• Passion for developing high-performing teams and scaling reliable, high-quality human data operations.
• Candidates must be based in an eligible country supported by the organization, with India among the available locations; remote arrangements may also be possible depending on role and location requirements.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end quality and delivery for assigned human data projects, personally reviewing technical work and ensuring accuracy, consistency, guideline adherence, and reliable data production at scale.
• Lead, coach, and performance-manage a team of AI Tutors, including conducting performance reviews, maintaining development records, creating improvement plans, facilitating shadow sessions, and supporting ongoing professional development.
• Participate directly in labeling, annotation, evaluation, and review activities to maintain high standards and demonstrate best practices.
• Establish and enforce quality assurance processes, taxonomy standards, workflow guidelines, and evaluation criteria.
• Monitor operational KPIs such as quality scores, throughput, and send-back rates, using performance data to identify bottlenecks and improve team efficiency.
• Develop and maintain training materials, practice exercises, and certification benchmarks while managing certification processes and workforce adjustments.
• Partner with data managers, other team leads, and engineering stakeholders to translate AI model requirements into clear labeling strategies and operational processes.
• Foster a high-performance culture through effective coaching, accountability, talent development, and appropriate performance-management actions.
• Document project outcomes, identify opportunities for process iteration, and communicate project status, risks, and results to relevant stakeholders.
• Represent the needs and perspectives of the AI Tutor team while promoting strong collaboration across the wider human data organization.

Skills

People management

Coaching

Data quality

KPI-driven improvements

Communications

Strategic thinking

Tools

SQL

Job description

Lever, Inc. is seeking an Expert Team Lead, SWE based in South Africa to lead a team of AI Tutors and stay hands-on with labeling, evaluation, and quality improvements. You will drive quality standards and scalable processes while collaborating with data managers and engineers to translate model requirements into effective data pipelines.

This fast-paced, autonomous role rewards continuous improvement and strong leadership in building high-performing teams for AI training and evaluation.