Vendor Manager

AIML Data Operations - Annotations Production Team ManagerBehind every groundbreaking AI innovation at Apple is a foundation of high-quality annotated data—and behind that foundation are the vendor partnerships and production operations that make it possible at scale. We're looking for an Annotations Production Team Manager to lead a group of crowd managers who serve as the critical link between Apple's annotation needs and our external vendor workforce. You will set strategic direction for how your team engages with vendor partners, ensuring the delivery of high-quality annotated data on time and at scale. You will develop your team's capabilities in vendor management, production operations, and quality oversight while establishing the frameworks and processes that enable consistent, scalable execution. Imagine leading the team that keeps Apple's AI data engine running, ensuring our machine learning models are trained with the highest quality data produced by a global workforce operating at peak efficiency.As a Manager in Annotations Production, you'll lead a team of crowd managers who collaborate with engineering teams and data requestors to deploy scalable data pipelines through our vendor workforce. Your team manages the full production lifecycle—from initial project requirements and vendor onboarding through delivery tracking, quality assurance, and continuous improvement. You will remain hands-on when complex vendor challenges or production escalations require your direct involvement. You will coach your team in vendor relationship management, helping them balance quality expectations with throughput targets across multiple annotation domains. You will establish operational frameworks—ramp plans, quality monitoring systems, escalation paths, and performance benchmarks—that enable your team to run production consistently and at scale. Your work will directly contribute to the success of the next generation of Apple products and features. This role leads a globally distributed team, with direct reports spanning multiple time zones across regions including [AMR / EMIEA / APAC]. You should be flexible in your working hours to accommodate collaboration across these time zones, which may include early morning or evening meetings on a regular basis.ResponsibilitiesLead, mentor, and develop a team of crowd managers that are located in multiple different time zones, fostering growth in vendor management, production operations, and stakeholder communicationSet strategic direction for vendor-facing production operations, establishing scalable frameworks and best practicesOversee vendor performance, ensuring SLAs are met for quality, throughput, and delivery timelines across concurrent programsDrive capacity planning and resource management across vendor partners, including volume forecasting and workforce allocationEnsure your team bridges engineering/customer teams and vendor operations, translating complex annotation requirements into actionable production plansPartner with QA, training, spec/process engineering, and data analytics teams to maintain quality at scaleEstablish and monitor key performance metrics for vendor operations, driving continuous improvementManage budget allocation, financial forecasting, and vendor cost optimizationBuild and maintain strong relationships with vendor leadership, ensuring alignment on Apple's quality standardsPrepare executive reports communicating production status, vendor health, and risks to senior leadershipFoster a collaborative culture where your team tackles production problems proactively and gains the trust of customers, engineering partners, and vendor organizationsMinimum QualificationsBS degree required10+ years of experience in program/project management, production operations, or vendor management in data operations or related fields3+ years of experience managing and developing teams in operational or vendor-facing rolesStrong understanding of production operations including capacity planning, quality assurance frameworks, and delivery managementExcellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex concepts to both technical and non-technical audiencesProven ability to manage multiple concurrent programs with competing priorities in a fast-paced environmentSelf-motivated and proactive leader who thrives in ambiguous environments and is able to establish diligent processes for global teamsDemonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity and rapidly shifting priorities, crafting creative, pragmatic near-term vendor support solutions that keep programs on track while maintaining focus on longer-term vendor strategy and scalable operational goalsExperience in leading a dispersed global teamPreferred QualificationsAdvanced degree in a relevant field preferredAnnotation operations, data operations, or crowd-sourcing programs at scaleVendor/supplier management including performance management and relationship developmentBudget management and financial forecasting for vendor-delivered workData quality issue tracking and resolution (impact analysis, root cause analysis, data analysis)Background managing geographically distributed teams or vendor workforcesUnderstanding of machine learning concepts, data annotation methodologies, and quality assurance processesApple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We seek to promote equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant At Apple, we believe accessibility is a fundamental human right. You'll find that idea reflected in everything here — in our culture, our benefits and our digital tools. By welcoming as many perspectives as possible, we help you build a career where you feel like you belong. Learn about accessibility in Apple's workplace Learn about reasonable accommodations for job applicants Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis. Submit Resume Back to search results See all roles in Austin