Director of Data, AI

Think of Us

. Define and drive Think of Us’s data strategy and roadmap, anchored on the Lived Experience Engine.

Posted 9/18/2026full-timeWashington, DC • District of Columbia • United StatesLead💰 $150,000 - $180,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates expertise in data strategy, architecture, and governance, with a strong focus on applied AI and compliance standards. Proven ability to lead and grow data teams while ensuring high-quality data practices and ethical handling of sensitive information.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Data Strategy DevelopmentApplied AI ExperienceData Architecture DesignData Governance StandardsTeam Leadership

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Data ArchitecturePythonAI Pipeline EvaluationData Quality StandardsData GovernanceHIPAA ComplianceRAG ArchitectureLangFuseEvaluation FrameworksML Capabilities

Soft Skills

Player-Coach LeadershipJudgment in Data HandlingAbility to Operate in AmbiguityImpact MotivationCommunication Across Audiences

Tools & Technologies

DatabricksAI PipelinesConnectMe AICustom Tools for AIData Lake

Industry Keywords

Youth and Family SystemsLived Experience DataData Access PoliciesEthical FrameworksData-Informed Decisions

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Python

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Define and drive Think of Us’s data strategy and roadmap, anchored on the Lived Experience Engine.
Direct the architecture of the Databricks data lake, including tiering, data model evolution, and standards.
Set standards for data quality, governance, and platform reliability.
Translate organizational priorities into data investments and team structure.
Build evaluation frameworks using LangFuse and custom tools for AI pipelines and agents.
Own decisions regarding RAG architecture, agent grounding, retrieval quality, and future ML capabilities.
Define the boundary between the data team and Applied AI Engineering for evaluations and AI data infrastructure.
Build and maintain data governance and HIPAA-adjacent compliance standards.
Own data access controls, privacy policies, and the ethical framework for lived-experience data.
Ensure sensitive PII handling meets legal and ethical standards.
Directly manage the data team and grow it over time.
Build the processes, culture, and norms of the data function.
Work hands-on as an individual contributor for the first 6–12 months.
Provide architectural feedback on Databricks gold-layer models.
Design evaluation frameworks for the ConnectMe AI pipeline and define quality standards for human-vetted output.
Translate research questions into data roadmap priorities with program leadership.
Review AI pipeline outputs for accuracy and equity across demographic groups.
Assess evaluations and determine what is ready to ship, needs iteration, or should be briefed to Product.
Draft data access policies for lived-experience narratives.
Partner with executive leadership, Engineering, Product, Design, Program, and Policy leaders on technical direction and data-informed decisions.

Requirements

What you’ll need

7+ years in data, analytics, or ML roles, with at least 2 years in a leadership or team-building capacity.
Direct, hands-on experience with applied AI such as RAG, agents, and LLM evaluation; candidates without this will not be considered.
Ability to design data architecture, read and review Python, evaluate AI pipeline quality, and hold substantive technical conversations with engineers.
Experience building or leading a small data team in the 2–8 person range.
Experience working with or alongside systems that impact youth and families, or deep commitment to learning about these systems.
Motivation by impact and systems change; ability to thrive in a fast-growing, evolving organization.
Player-coach leadership approach.
Ability to operate in ambiguity in a resource-constrained, fast-moving environment.
Ability to translate between technical and program, product, and policy audiences.
Judgment and care when handling sensitive lived-experience data.
Ability to establish high standards for data and evaluation quality and grow them in others.
Resume outlining skills and experiences relevant to the role.

Benefits

Comp & perks

100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees; 50% for dependents.
Access to Talkspace for confidential therapy and mental health support.
Short-Term Disability, Life, and AD&D Insurance included.
Optional Long-Term Disability and Supplemental Life Insurance.
Health Care and Dependent Care FSAs available.
401(k) Plan for pre-tax retirement contributions.
Work-from-home setup stipend to optimize your workspace.
Flexible PTO policy, plus sick leave and paid leaves of absence.
8 company holidays, plus two organization-wide seasonal breaks.
Professional development support aligned with organizational needs, role, performance, business needs, and Company policies.
Regular organization-wide learning sessions on relevant and reflective topics.