Jobs / United States / Scale AI INC
Data Acquisition Lead, Frontier Environments
Scale AI INC · 🇺🇸 San Francisco, CA; New York, NY
Sponsorship verdict
Sponsorship possible
One solid signal, not two — worth applying, and worth asking about sponsorship early.
- Employer is on a government sponsor recordThe US Department of Labor certified 74 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 3 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
- The posting doesn’t mention sponsorshipSilence isn’t a refusal — ask the recruiter before investing much time.
- No salary bar for this routeH-1B has no fixed salary bar: the employer must pay at least the prevailing wage for the role and area. Cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level. Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23853/weighted-selection-process-for-registrants-and-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b, rules effective 2026-02-27.
- What Scale AI INC paid sponsored hires in similar roles3 certified filings for “Director of Data Science & Analytics, GenAI” (Operations Research Analysts) in CA: $210k–$300k, median $215k. Most were filed at wage level III (67%) — 3 lottery entries, ≈46% projected selection odds for cap-subject employers. Source: US Department of Labor LCA disclosure data (Oct 2025 – Jun 2026).
- Confirmed live todayWhen a source last listed this job as open.
US H-1B: cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level — Level I gets 1 entry, Level IV gets 4 (DHS projected selection odds ≈15% at Level I to ≈61% at Level IV). Universities and non-profit research employers are cap-exempt. The $100,000 fee for new petitions from abroad is currently blocked by a court order (appeal pending).
A verdict summarises public evidence; it is not legal advice and never a guarantee — the employer and the immigration authority decide. Sign in to factor in where you can already work.
Or apply yourself on the official page →
Sponsor Radar — Scale AI INC
The US Department of Labor certified 74 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 3 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
Past sponsorship or register membership never guarantees sponsorship for this vacancy or for you. Full Sponsor Radar for Scale AI INC →
About the role
Join the team shaping the future of AI at Scale. Scale builds RL environments: sandboxed replicas of the digital spheres where real knowledge work occurs and built from the operating data of the companies that actually hold it. As the Data Acquisition Lead , you will own the commercial motion that gets us that data end to end. You will figure out which companies sit on the data for the next domain worth owning and then go and get it. This is a zero-to-one function with no playbook. You should be prepared to wear many hats, from thesis-driven dealmaker to hands-on operator to technical translator between commercial and Research teams. You will: • Map the supply side. Work backwards from where labs are pushing to the specific organizations holding the underlying data. Build a thesis on which domains are worth owning and in what order. • Invent the deal structures. You'll work with Scale’s legal team to define the first version of how these transactions get priced. • Close. Own it from cold outreach to signature. • Close the loop with the technical side. You need to hold a real conversation about what makes a dataset trainable and become an expert in what makes this underlying data valuable. • Build the machine. Do the work by hand first, then turn what you learn into a repeatable pipeline. Ideally, you’d have: • 5+ years across some mix of business development, corp dev, commercial strategy, or early-stage GTM. The label matters less than a track record of building a commercial motion that didn't exist before you got there • A strong track record of managing important external relationships • Strong business judgment and the ability to evaluate partnership value quickly • Clear communication skills and comfort working with senior stakeholders • Ability to operate independently while staying closely connected to cross-functional teams • A practical, hands-on approach to building new functions from the ground up • Comfort working in fast-moving, ambiguous environments • Experience in AI, data infrastructure, marketplaces, platforms, or high-growth technology companies • Familiarity with post-training, RL, evals, or synthetic data • Experience with data licensing, IP, or regulated data • Experience partnering closely with Legal and Finance on complex agreements Compensation packages at Scale for eligible roles include base salary, equity, and benefits. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position and may be inclusive of several career levels at Scale; it will be determined during the interview process based on work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, qualifications, interview performance, and relevant education or training. Scale employees in eligible roles are also granted equity based compensation, subject to Board of Director approval. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process, and confirm whether the hired role will be eligible for equity grant. You'll also receive benefits including, but not limited to: comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, a learning and development stipend, and generous PTO. Additionally, this role may be eligible for additional benefits such as a commuter stipend. Please reference the job posting's subtitle for where this position will be located. For pay transparency purposes, the base salary range for this full-time position in the locations of San Francisco, New York, Seattle is: $182,400 — $228,000 USD PLEASE NOTE: Our policy requires a 90-day waiting period before reconsidering candidates for the same role. This allows us to ensure a fair and thorough evaluation of all