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Data Acquisition Engineer
Palo Alto, CA
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 a Data Acquisition Engineer at Abaka AI, you will own and scale our raw data supply ecosystem by combining technical systems building with hands-on supplier sourcing and management. This is a 0→1 builder role focused on creating scalable, AI-native infrastructure for discovering, evaluating, onboarding, and managing data suppliers globally.
You will design and implement automation, internal tools, and AI-driven workflows to increase sourcing leverage—while also directly identifying, engaging, and managing external data partners. You will work closely with leadership to develop commercial instincts and supplier negotiation skills as you take full ownership of the data supply pipeline.
This is a high-impact role at the intersection of engineering, growth, and operations.
Responsibilities
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Build automated pipelines and AI-driven workflows to discover and evaluate new raw data sources
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Design and implement internal tooling for supplier tracking, scoring, and performance management
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Experiment with scraping, APIs, enrichment tools, and automation platforms to increase sourcing efficiency
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Aggressively identify and outreach to new data suppliers across global markets
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Evaluate supplier quality, reliability, and scalability in partnership with internal teams
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Manage ongoing vendor relationships, ensuring quality, cost, and delivery standards are met
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Collaborate cross-functionally with Data Engineering, Research, Product, GTM, Legal, and Finance to align supply with business needs
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Support commercial discussions and contract processes with guidance from leadership
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Build scalable systems that increase data throughput without increasing headcount
Qualifications
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Strong technical foundation (engineering, data, scripting, automation, or systems building)
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Experience building projects, tools, or pipelines from 0→1
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Comfortable using AI-native tools (e.g., LLM agents, Cursor, automation platforms, workflow builders)
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High ownership mindset with the ability to operate independently in ambiguous environments
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Strong written and verbal communication skills
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Interest in AI, machine learning, and data infrastructure
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Growth-oriented mindset with bias toward experimentation and rapid iteration
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Experience in startup or high-growth environments preferred
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Exposure to data pipelines, scraping, APIs, or automation workflows is a strong plus
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Prior vendor management experience is not required
Compensation & Benefits
The base salary range for this position is $110,000 - $160,000 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).
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