AI Data Operations Manager
Niantic Spatial, Inc.
full-time
Posted on:
Location Type: Hybrid
Location: San Francisco • California • United States
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Salary
💰 $115,500 - $135,500 per year
About the role
- Own day-to-day operations for geo data, scanning, and labeling programs that power AI models and mapping products.
- Ensure data workflows run efficiently, on time, and at the right cost/quality bar across internal teams and vendors.
- Maintain rigorous data tracking and inventory so stakeholders clearly understand what data exists, where it lives, and its readiness and constraints.
- Plan and manage large-scale field capture programs using 360 cameras, RGB LiDAR, and drones, including complex urban mapping operations and targeted customer captures.
- Coordinate surveyors and vendors to execute capture schedules, resolve in-field issues, and maintain safety and compliance standards.
- Keep up to date with the latest mapping processes and their impact on scanning requirements; contribute field insights into the evolution of Niantic’s Photon devices and capture tooling.
- Execute direct, internal data capture when required by specific security protocols, data sensitivity, or when the project scale does not necessitate external vendor mobilization.
- Act as the primary operational point of contact for key external partners such as capture vendors and annotation vendors, and for strategic customer programs.
- Translate customer and internal stakeholder needs into clear scopes of work, SLAs, and procedures for vendors; monitor performance and drive continuous improvement.
- Manage labeling operations to provide research, ML, and product teams with high-quality labeled datasets, including defining taxonomies, guidelines, and QA processes.
- Distill customer requirements into precise labeling instructions and workflows; balance quality, time, and cost tradeoffs and communicate them transparently.
- Lead multi-month, multi-vendor operations such as large-scale drone and 360 capture campaigns (e.g., city-scale mapping projects and DroneToGround dataset expansions).
- Identify and manage risks, issues, and escalations across all active programs, ensuring stakeholders understand options and tradeoffs.
- Develop and execute continuous improvement plans for tools, workflows, metrics, and reporting to increase efficiency and reliability over time.
- Represent AI data operations in cross-functional forums with Product, Engineering, Research, Legal, Finance, Procurement, Security, and GTM teams.
- Partner with Legal on data privacy, GDPR/DSA compliance, and data usage governance for customer and internal datasets.
- Manage budgets and resources for scanning and labeling operations, including forecasting capacity and making resourcing recommendations.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in a related field (e.g. Geospatial, Engineering, Operations, Data Science) or equivalent practical experience.
- 3+ years of experience in operations, data operations, or technical program management, ideally in mapping, geospatial, or AI/ML data domains.
- Demonstrated experience running real-world data collection and/or labeling operations, including managing outsourced or vendor teams.
- Hands-on experience with geo data workflow management, field scanning, and visual data labeling; familiarity with GIS or mapping tools is a plus.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills; able to turn complex, shifting inputs into clear plans and rigorous execution.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills; able to translate between highly technical teams (ML, engineering) and operational/vendor partners.
- Comfortable working independently in a fast-moving, ambiguous environment and juggling multiple concurrent programs and stakeholders.
- Willingness to travel as needed for field operations, vendor visits, and on-site coordination.
- Valid driving license required; FAA drone pilot certification strongly preferred, given the centrality of drone operations to our capture programs.
- Experience collaborating with Legal, Finance, Procurement, and Security on contracts, compliance, and vendor management is strongly preferred.
Benefits
- bonus
- equity
- benefits
Applicant Tracking System Keywords
Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.
Hard Skills & Tools
geo data managementdata workflow managementfield scanningvisual data labelingproject managementdata collectionrisk managementcontinuous improvementdata trackingbudget management
Soft Skills
analytical skillsproblem-solvingcommunicationstakeholder managementindependent workadaptabilityorganizational skillsteam collaborationexecutiontranslating technical requirements
Certifications
Bachelor's degreeFAA drone pilot certification