At Microsoft AI, we are on a mission to train the world's most capable AI frontier models, pushing the boundaries of scale, performance, and product deployment for Microsoft AI models. We're tackling some of the most challenging problems in deep learning at scale. As a team, we will build the best AI models in the world across text, reasoning, and multimodal, forming the foundation of initiatives across Microsoft and helping our customers achieve more.
This role sits at the heart of our AI superintelligence lab. We're looking for an experienced, hands-on operator to lead AI data acquisition and operations: sourcing, negotiating, and delivering the training data behind our frontier models.
You will own an acquisition pipeline end to end: working directly with our AI scientists to understand what data will move model performance, sourcing it globally and ethically, negotiating the deals, and running the operations that get it delivered, validated, and into training runs. The work spans human data and annotation vendor programs, and structuring novel deals for data that have never been commercially available before.
The ideal candidate is a heavy user of AI and a hands-on operator who has worked directly between technical teams and vendors, is comfortable owning commercial negotiations personally, and builds systems that scale rather than running things manually.
This role is based in Mountain View, CA. You are required to be in the office 4 days per week.
Responsibilities
Partner with researchers to initiate and monitor critical pre- and post-training data collections, including vendor selection, contract negotiation, and management.
Partner with and oversee data operations for AI training data, including setting Microsoft's validation workflows, delivery tracking, and ensuring alignment with research goals.
Oversee a system for procurement processes, including tracking wallets, vendor spend, and milestone delivery.
Partner to help govern a centralized data catalog for validated datasets, metadata, and storage locations to support compliance and discoverability.
Coordinate cross-functional initiatives across Business Development, Procurement, Legal, Compliance, Finance, and Engineering.
Advance the AI frontier responsibly and embody Microsoft’s culture and values.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s Degree AND 8+ years experience in strategy or finance, data operations, program/technical program management, procurement, or finance integration OR equivalent experience.
2+ years of management experience in overseeing large-scale data operations for leading AI research organizations or leading vendors.
Experience building and leading a team.
Track record building operational systems — spend tracking, delivery milestones, validation workflows — that scale beyond manual effort.
Experience operating in a research environment where priorities shift quickly and requirements are underspecified.
Preferred Qualifications
Bachelor’s Degree AND 10+ years experience in technical data operations, procurement program management, or finance systems integration OR equivalent experience.
3+ years of management experience in overseeing large-scale data operations for leading AI research organizations or leading vendors.
Fluency with data rights and licensing terms, and comfort working with legal and privacy partners on novel questions.
Business Strategy IC6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $155,800 - $277,200 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $202,400 - $303,600 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree and 8+ years experience in strategy, finance, data operations, program/technical program management, procurement, or finance integration (or equivalent)
- 2+ years management experience overseeing large-scale data operations for AI research organizations or vendors
- Experience building and leading a team
- Proven track record building operational systems (spend tracking, delivery milestones, validation workflows) that scale beyond manual effort
- Experience operating in a research environment with shifting priorities and underspecified requirements
- Role based in Mountain View, CA and required to be in-office four days per week
- Bachelor's degree and 10+ years experience in technical data operations, procurement program management, or finance systems integration (preferred)
- 3+ years management experience overseeing large-scale data operations (preferred)
- Fluency with data rights and licensing terms and comfort working with legal and privacy partners (preferred)
Microsoft Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Microsoft and has not been reviewed or approved by Microsoft.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is presented as broadly competitive overall, with clear role/level/location variation and an emphasis on using posted ranges and band information for apples-to-apples comparisons.
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Retirement Support — Retirement benefits are described as a standout, highlighted by a strong 401(k) match structure and immediate vesting, plus additional plan features for tax-advantaged saving.
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Parental & Family Support — Family-oriented benefits are portrayed as a meaningful strength, with substantial paid parental leave and added supports like back-up care and adoption/surrogacy assistance.
Microsoft Insights
What We Do
At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Our mission is grounded in both the world in which we live and the future we strive to create. Today, we live in a mobile-first, cloud-first world, and the transformation we are driving across our businesses is designed to enable Microsoft and our customers to thrive in this world.
