Research Partnerships Manager at Abaka AI

<div data-page-id="YfRYdcycyo6ib9x3qrFloPeYgdf" data-lark-html-role="root" data-docx-has-block-data="false"> <div class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-X162dT0rVoIu0yxrJd0lQRhZgSa"> <div data-page-id="IZ2jdpusUoDxZAxcFyOlMs7Egdg" data-lark-html-role="root" data-docx-has-block-data="false"> <div class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-WvgfdMxdfoOec1xG62hlGJElgl5"><strong>About Abaka AI</strong></div> <div class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-PYqgdTHbhoecLvxj3AxlEBF0g6g">Abaka AI is built on one mission: to be the world’s most trusted data partner for AI companies. More than 1,000 industry leaders across Generative AI, Embodied AI, and Automotive AI rely on us to power their data pipelines. With our headquarters in Silicon Valley—and teams in Paris, Singapore, and Tokyo—we support global partners with fast, reliable, and scalable data solutions.</div> <div class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-ObWydFWO4owLFwxFoqQldjKWgmT">Our offerings include a diverse catalog of off-the-shelf datasets (image, video, multimodal, reasoning, 3D, and beyond) as well as comprehensive data collection and annotation services. Whether teams need raw data, curated datasets, or full-cycle data engineering, Abaka AI provides the foundation for building high-performance AI systems.</div> <div class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-MeUVd7HVSo0eERxJwY8lXcgegQf">&nbsp;</div> <div class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-SfWFdS0DxopCQ4xc3NwlUr0Wg3f"><strong>About the Role</strong></div> <div class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-X1aCdCwUgoxgTExZWqHlKEIUg7e">We are hiring a Research Partnerships Manager to strengthen and scale Abaka AI’s academic and business collaborations.</div> <div class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-JGn7dCZfZoNWfzxQyNnls14hgDe">This role sits at the intersection of research, partnerships, and business development, with a strong focus on understanding client needs and curating customized solutions. You will work closely with our Business Development team to support and expand relationships with researchers, professors, and academic labs, helping translate research connections into meaningful, long-term partnerships.</div> <div class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-D4uHdy37foCgW6xfGD8lMeVvgwf">This is a full-time role designed for PhD researchers who are actively embedded in frontier research communities, combining deep engagement with the academic research ecosystem and strong technical judgment to build industry-facing collaborations. You will play a critical role in shaping how Abaka AI partners with researchers working on frontier AI problems, particularly in areas aligned with Abaka’s core research priorities.</div> <div class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-WxuadyNeDo9Ugexq51QlCVclgPf">&nbsp;</div> <div class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-SLhwdOplMo9GdGxsHTzliJAiglz"><strong>Research Focus Areas</strong></div> <div class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-S4gUdhe1bofBt4xxmWHlIwB5gOd">Abaka AI prioritizes partnerships with researchers working on, but not limited to, the following areas:</div> <ul class="list-bullet1"> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-JjOFdOwbFoDj9Tx4qkFl9EHugye" data-list="bullet"> <div>Large Language Models (LLMs) and foundation models</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-AL22dxg8joOpOSxxGqql5o8AgPX" data-list="bullet"> <div>Multimodal models, including text, image, video (video understanding and editing, not diffusion), audio, 3D, agents, and vision-language models (VLMs)</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-L69hdZ48foTFLtx1BVEl61fXgbg" data-list="bullet"> <div>Reasoning, evaluation, and alignment of LLMs, including benchmark design and analysis</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-Sc8vdm2reo8tfJxSacTlA1qEgKe" data-list="bullet"> <div>Embodied AI and robotics, including simulation-based learning and real-world deployment</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-JkUcd0ykHolCKkxjmFzleglGgad" data-list="bullet"> <div>Reinforcement Learning (RL) environments, experience generation, and agent capability training</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-V0v8dSataoEbr9xq1QVl9kNegwg" data-list="bullet"> <div>Dataset creation, curation, and large-scale data engineering for training and evaluation</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-CYfidDjs8oAbZPxiyXKldE2Ng5c" data-list="bullet"> <div>Model evaluation, robustness, and deployment challenges in real-world systems</div> </li> </ul> <div class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-CStddgJxxo8129x9UBWlwI6mgXf">&nbsp;</div> <div class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-YsF9doBWAoMP4hx1JIulxynXgTf"><strong>Responsibilities</strong></div> <ul class="list-bullet1"> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-OCazd55bdoSm8pxNK6HlQyclgdf" data-list="bullet"> <div>Play an active role in shaping Abaka’s research-facing strategy, including identifying high-impact research directions, datasets, and benchmarks.</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-LwhCdxU0Joktc7xucu1ls3fqgph" data-list="bullet"> <div>Build and maintain relationships with research labs, academic researchers, and professors across AI-related fields, particularly those aligned with Abaka’s research priorities.</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-JIPXdOQnMoyGn8x1XGOlqT7ngBd" data-list="bullet"> <div>Leverage existing academic and research networks to identify high-potential collaboration opportunities.</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-HAUvdwSGfotVp3xTzrFlrtmCgzc" data-list="bullet"> <div>Support academic partnership discussions after initial engagement by the Business Development team.</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-GSe2d2KYBoXFbJxRUPtlv8nKgSg" data-list="bullet"> <div>Conduct targeted cold outreach to researchers and labs in a professional and ethical manner aligned with academic and institutional norms.</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-XxSfdWRv2o9lqlxmKXFlQWVqgwc" data-list="bullet"> <div>Represent Abaka AI at academic conferences, workshops, and research events, actively expanding visibility within the research community.</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-ADvldLGr2orPdax9vSWlf1oFgub" data-list="bullet"> <div>Develop a strong understanding of academic lab structures, advisor–student pipelines, and researcher career trajectories.</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-RlfdduO3MorT8Dxisawl0AjIgkb" data-list="bullet"> <div>Stay current on research trends across areas such as LLMs, multimodal models, reasoning systems, and embodied AI.</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-FEgsdYDZOomMEQxRLsuluKtSgte" data-list="bullet"> <div>Conduct lightweight independent research or literature reviews to support partnership conversations and collaboration planning.</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-S9n5dHDBfodYjLxTHKOlZeTjgth" data-list="bullet"> <div>Collaborate cross-functionally with BD, research, and internal teams to align partnership goals and execution.</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-AalrdkIBjoT4KPx2djOljawBgcl" data-list="bullet"> <div>Share insights from the academic research ecosystem to inform partnership strategy, dataset development, and outreach efforts.</div> </li> </ul> <div class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-OzsudSLZnoggQqxmdcYlUs83g6e">&nbsp;</div> <div class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-LRnJduLm3oLEPxxsfH3lcwqYgZe"><strong>Qualifications</strong></div> <ul class="list-bullet1"> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-RuK3d3nkQo32XtxfXKwllZvfgUe" data-list="bullet"> <div>Strong intuition for what makes a dataset, benchmark, or evaluation valuable to frontier AI models, including considerations around quality, scale, coverage, and real-world relevance</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-WR9pdI79boRAcCxYQgjlIdylgSe" data-list="bullet"> <div>Academic background in computer science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, or a related field.</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-CJ9bd6lLzogoDbxrqnvlbhGwg9c" data-list="bullet"> <div>Currently enrolled in, or recently graduated from, a PhD, Master’s, or advanced undergraduate program.</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-Pg9KdO03Uo63SwxeqxrlNXkmg7c" data-list="bullet"> <div>Familiarity with research areas such as LLMs, multimodal learning, vision-language models, or embodied AI.</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-WFQ0dbl1joOw2Gxib8el0zRogKg" data-list="bullet"> <div>Deep understanding of the academic research ecosystem, including labs, professors, PhD pipelines, and research communities.</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-ICvvd8XNLoilNhxkG4slUDmhgDc" data-list="bullet"> <div>Existing connections within academic or research-focused networks.</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-GxGadTSu7oxc5ZxRJO4lsh9ugfe" data-list="bullet"> <div>Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with comfort engaging researchers through both warm introductions and cold outreach.</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-S84KduZwBoBAvYxkjc5l1MGUg7g" data-list="bullet"> <div>Highly proactive and self-driven, with a demonstrated ability to independently build and sustain professional networks.</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-KA1kdqXvSopq6WxIkyClGtROgTg" data-list="bullet"> <div>Comfortable operating in a fast-paced startup environment with high ownership and autonomy.</div> </li> <li class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-XsG4dYynUojIewx9gaYlX8mzgBd" data-list="bullet"> <div>Ability to balance research depth with partnership and relationship-building objectives.</div> </li> </ul> <div class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-FeREdAtqrofzARx3AJBlxdqFgWf">&nbsp;</div> <div class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-DCSsdEp3iojiB4xC6fhl0NdYgeA"><strong>Compensation &amp; Benefits</strong></div> <div class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-EaCnd6ooromdrwxzZSplw2lOgcd">The base salary range for this position is $175,000 - $275,000 USD annually.</div> <div class="ace-line ace-line old-record-id-Q4TIdYX7aoh7Z4xpXbTl8UUFgKd">Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work at Abaka AI. This role is eligible for equity, as well as a comprehensive benefits package (health, dental, vision, PTO, flexible work schedule).</div> </div> </div> </div>