Head of Community (Researcher Relations)
Company Overview:
We are building Protege to solve the biggest unmet need in AI — getting access to the right training data. The process today is time intensive, incredibly expensive, and often ends in failure. The Protege platform facilitates the secure, efficient, and privacy-centric exchange of AI training data.
Solving AI’s data problem is a generational opportunity. We’re backed by world-class investors and already powering partnerships with some of the most ambitious teams in AI. The company that succeeds will be one of the largest in AI — and in tech.
We’re a lean, fast-moving, high-trust team of builders who are obsessed with velocity and impact. Our culture is built for people who thrive on ambiguity, own outcomes, and want to shape the future of data and AI.
Role Overview:
The Head of Community (Researcher Relations) bridges the gap between the world’s leading AI researchers, the Protege core AI training and evaluation dataset business, and the Protege Data Lab’s technical AI data expertise. This role seeks to establish and grow Protege’s position as the world’s leading AI data expert advisors in the eyes of AI researchers by building our own research and AI development community.
The role requires a unique blend of relationship and community-building instincts and deep understanding of data’s role in cutting edge AI research and development.
What You’ll Do
Build strong relationships with AI researchers and position Protege as a trusted authority on AI data
Create and operate a researcher ecosystem through events, working groups, ongoing forum conversation, and other channels
Surface researcher data needs to inform priority data acquisitions and partnerships
Grow Protege Data Lab’s visibility and reputation within the research community
Align researcher engagement with Protege’s product releases and commercial goals
Design and manage an academic advisory board to inform product direction and research leadership
About You
You are a resourceful problem-solver with a strong bias toward execution
You are comfortable navigating ambiguity and complex problem spaces
You can skillfully move between conceptual thinking and practical execution
You demonstrate a growth mindset and can operate effectively with minimal oversight
You are a team-player; no job is too big or too small
You treat those around you with kindness
Required
Experience building and scaling technical or expert communities from the ground up
Startup experience or equivalent (e.g., entrepreneurial, NGO, advocacy)
Comfort owning in person events and researcher engagement
Willingness to travel 1–2x per month (SF Bay Area + other major hubs)
Bonus:
Based in the SF Bay Area
Research background or existing researcher relationships
Ongoing participation in AI research conversations (e.g., social media, events, writing, talks)
Experience running high-quality, highly technical events
Background in developer relations, technical communities, or adjacent ecosystems
Skilled in translation of research into product and business impact