Abaka AI→
Vendor Partnerships Manager at Abaka AI in Palo Alto, CA
ExperiencedOn-siteFull-timePalo Alto, CA$80k–$140k/yr
Job Description
About Abaka AI
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.
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.
About the Role
As the Vendor Partnerships Manager at Abaka AI, you will own and scale the ecosystem of vendors and data suppliers that power our products and client deliverables. This role sits at the intersection of operations, partnerships, and data strategy. You will be responsible for ensuring we have the right vendors, at the right quality, cost, and capacity, to support both current and future business needs.
You’ll work cross-functionally with Data Engineering, Research, Product, GTM, Legal, and Finance to translate data requirements into reliable vendor partnerships. This is a high-impact role with direct ownership over vendor performance, risk, and long-term partner strategy as Abaka AI continues to grow globally.
Responsibilities
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Own Abaka AI’s end-to-end vendor and data supplier ecosystem, including sourcing, onboarding, relationship management, and performance tracking
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Identify, evaluate, and onboard new data vendors and partners globally to support evolving product, research, and client needs
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Serve as the primary point of contact for all active vendors, ensuring clear communication, alignment on expectations, and timely issue resolution
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Negotiate commercial terms, pricing, SLAs, and contracts in partnership with Legal, Finance, and leadership
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Ensure vendor output meets Abaka AI’s quality, security, compliance, and delivery standards
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Partner closely with Data Engineering, Research, and GTM teams to forecast data needs and align vendor capacity accordingly
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Monitor vendor performance using quantitative and qualitative metrics (quality, cost, speed, reliability) and drive continuous improvement
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Manage vendor risk, redundancy, and contingency planning to ensure resilience of data supply
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Maintain accurate vendor documentation, contracts, and internal knowledge to support scale and audit-readiness
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Contribute to long-term vendor strategy as Abaka AI expands into new modalities, regions, and industries
Qualifications
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Experience in vendor management, partnerships, supply chain, operations, or procurement—ideally in tech, data, or AI-adjacent industries
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Experience managing external partners or suppliers across multiple regions and time zones
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Strong negotiation and relationship management skills with the ability to balance cost, quality, and speed
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Ability to work cross-functionally with technical and non-technical stakeholders
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Highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable owning ambiguous, evolving problem spaces
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Strong written and verbal communication skills
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Experience operating in fast-paced startup or high-growth environments
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Experience working with data vendors, annotation providers, or AI/ML data pipelines
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Familiarity with contracts, SLAs, and vendor compliance considerations
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Background in operations, program management, or platform partnerships
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Exposure to global vendor ecosystems across Asia, Europe, or LATAM
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Interest in AI, machine learning, and the data infrastructure that powers modern models
Compensation & Benefits
The base salary range for this position is $80,000 - $140,000 USD annually.
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).