Director, Research - Frontier Benchmarks (AI)

TL;DR

Director, Research - Frontier Benchmarks (AI): Leading a team of researchers to design datasets that define and advance the frontier of AI with an accent on benchmark quality, RL, and domain-specific evaluations. Focus on uncovering gaps in frontier models, designing RL benchmarks, and translating technical research into business impact.

Location: Hybrid in San Francisco, CA

Salary: $325,000 - $450,000 USD

Company

Snorkel AI helps enterprises transform expert knowledge into specialized AI at scale using a data-centric approach.

What you will do

• Define the roadmap for dataset construction based on market signals and frontier lab trends.
• Own the quality and positioning of benchmark designs against existing datasets.
• Mentor and grow a technical team of senior researchers while remaining hands-on.
• Foster external and academic collaborations to advance AI research.
• Track developments in agentic evaluation, RL training research, and new benchmarks.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in applied AI, ML, or research, including leadership of senior researchers.
• Proven track record in building benchmarks and conducting data-centric research.
• Experience setting team vision and collaborating with executive leadership.
• Ability to operate cross-functionally in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.
• Experience in customer-facing roles, translating technical contributions to business impact.
• Ph.D. in ML, NLP, or a related field (or equivalent industry/research lab experience).

Culture & Benefits

• Combination of stability from market-proven solutions and high-growth startup excitement.
• Opportunities to shape strategic priorities and influence key company decisions.
• Strong support for career growth, technical expertise, and leadership development.
• Commitment to diversity and equal employment opportunity.