Director of AI Crowd Insights

Appen is a leader in AI enablement for critical tasks such as model improvement, supervision, and evaluation. To do this we leverage our global crowd of over one million skilled contractors, speaking over 180 languages and dialects, representing 130 countries. In addition, we utilize the industry's most advanced AI-assisted data annotation platform to collect and label various types of data like images, text, speech, audio, and video.

Our data is crucial for building and continuously improving the world's most innovative artificial intelligence systems and Appen is already trusted by the world's largest technology companies. Now with the explosion of interest in generative AI, Appen is helping leaders in automotive, financial services, retail, healthcare, and governments the confidence to deploy world-class AI products.

At Appen, we are purpose driven. Our fundamental role in AI is to ensure all models are helpful, honest, and harmless, so we firmly believe in unlocking the power of AI to build a better world. We have a learn-it-all culture that values perspective, growth, and innovation. We are customer-obsessed, action-oriented, and celebrate winning together.

At Appen, we are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

CrowdGen is a leading global platform supporting companies in building and launching AI. As one of the largest AI data services companies, we enable global enterprises to develop and deploy large-scale AI models and applications. With a network of over 1 million Contributors in 185+ countries, CrowdGen connects highly skilled independent contractors with AI data projects that require diverse expertise in over 500 languages. Our projects range from quick-turn, high-volume tasks to long-term, complex deliverables. The Director of AI Crowd Insights is accountable for ensuring our platform has the capacity, skills, and talent to support hundreds of AI projects being delivered around the world for the largest and most advanced builders and deployers of AI models and applications. This role will play a critical part in forecasting demand, driving operational efficiency, and optimizing contributor engagement to meet evolving client needs.

The Director of AI Crowd Insights will lead the development and optimization of strategies to ensure the right Contributors are sourced, allocated, and engaged to meet the dynamic demands of our AI data projects. This key leadership role will oversee capacity forecasting, contributor headcount planning, and project feasibility analysis to ensure our ability to meet client deliverables while optimizing costs, Contributor Lifetime Value (CLV), and Net Promoter Score (NPS). As a core member of the CrowdGen leadership team, the Director will collaborate across functions, including Delivery, Client Services, Direct Marketing, Funnel Operations, and Contributor Experience, to drive efficiency, scalability, and Contributor satisfaction across all projects. The role is responsible for ensuring the platform can meet the capacity demands of high-growth AI projects while fostering a positive and sustainable Contributor experience.

1. Strategic Capacity Planning: Build and maintain analytical tools and reporting systems to forecast client demand for Contributors, segmented by skill set, geography, and project complexity. Develop dynamic capacity planning models to ensure the platform can quickly scale to meet fast-changing project requirements.Translate business objectives into operational plans to ensure capacity readiness for both high-intensity, fast-start projects and long-term, complex engagements. Align Contributor capacity with production forecasts to ensure optimal project delivery and cost efficiency.

2. Operational Optimization: Collaborate with Delivery and Client Services teams to assess the feasibility of proposed projects, considering deliverables, complexity, and timelines. Develop clear sourcing and delivery plans to mitigate project delivery risks and maintain Contributor capacity efficiency. Optimize Contributor allocation to ensure cost-effectiveness while maintaining quality and on-time delivery. Provide data-driven recommendations to improve capacity utilization and reduce inefficiencies.

3. Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement: Partner with Funnel Operations and Direct Marketing teams to prioritize Contributor acquisition based on forecasted demand and project pipeline. Work closely with the Contributor Experience team to drive initiatives that improve Contributor retention, engagement, and satisfaction. Provide ongoing data-driven insights to Delivery and Client Services to ensure feasibility alignment and resource availability. Continuously collaborate across functions to streamline operations and Contributor capacity management.

4. Contributor Lifecycle Value (CLV) Management:Develop strategies to maximize Contributor Lifetime Value (CLV) by optimizing acquisition, retention, and engagement models. Identify and address attrition trends through data-driven insights to improve Contributor satisfaction. Drive initiatives to enhance Contributor NPS while ensuring operational efficiency. Monitor and analyze CLV trends to ensure sustainable and scalable growth.

5. Leadership and Team Development:Lead and develop a high-performing team responsible for capacity forecasting, Contributor analytics, and operational planning. Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and data-driven decision-making. Provide regular updates and strategic recommendations to the GM of CrowdGen and executive leadership. Champion continuous improvement initiatives across operations to drive scalability and efficiency.

5+ years of experience in workforce planning, capacity management, or operational analytics, preferably in a technology, AI, or platform-driven company.

Proven expertise in demand forecasting, resource planning, and operational efficiency.

Strong understanding of AI data project workflows and the balance between fast-start and long-term projects.

Exceptional analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data sets and develop actionable insights.

Demonstrated ability to influence senior leadership and drive cross-functional collaboration.

Experience optimizing Contributor Lifetime Value (CLV) and Contributor satisfaction (NPS).Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Experience managing large-scale, global contributor networks or gig-based workforce models.

Familiarity with AI data services, platform business models, and large-scale capacity management.

Background in high-growth tech or data services companies.

Knowledge of digital marketing, Contributor acquisition pipelines, or talent sourcing strategies.

Be part of a cutting-edge company driving the future of AI data services.

Work with a globally distributed team of passionate professionals.

Shape the future of Contributor capacity management in a rapidly growing industry.

Competitive salary, benefits, and career growth opportunities.