Senior Annotation Lead

Lead annotation delivery for multimodal AI programmes — image, video and LiDAR — holding quality at 97–99% while volume scales.
Location Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Type Full time
Posted 29 July 2026
About The Role
You will lead one of the annotation programmes behind our clients' AI systems: multimodal image, video and LiDAR work running at production volume — hundreds of thousands of frames a month — where the accuracy of the label decides whether the model works.
What you will do
Run day-to-day delivery for an annotation programme: throughput, quality and turnaround against the client SLA.
Own the L1/L2/L3 review structure — sampling, golden-set checks and the feedback loop back to annotators.
Translate a client's labelling guidelines into instructions a team can apply consistently, and keep them current as edge cases surface.
Lead, coach and grow a team of annotators and reviewers, including people new to the field.
Work with client-side ML and data teams on guideline changes, quality disputes and volume planning.
What you will bring
Several years in data annotation, data operations or a comparable quality-led delivery role, including time leading a team.
Direct experience of an annotation quality system — sampling, inter-annotator agreement, golden sets or an equivalent.
Comfort with at least one annotation toolchain, and the judgement to know when a guideline is ambiguous rather than the annotator being wrong.
Clear written English: most guideline and escalation work happens in writing with client teams.
A bachelor's degree, or equivalent experience in a delivery or quality role.
Helpful, not required: 2D/3D LiDAR or sensor-fusion annotation, or experience in autonomous mobility, geospatial or robotics data.
Working arrangements
Full time, on site at the delivery centre listed above. Standard working hours, with shift cover arranged within the team where a client programme runs to a different timezone.
About DesiCrew
DesiCrew has run high-stakes AI and enterprise operations from small-town and rural India since 2007. More than 2,000 people work across our delivery centres, 68% of them women — roughly twice the industry average — and 49% the sole earner in their family. We are ISO 9001, ISO 27001 and ISO 42001 certified and a Great Place to Work.
We hire for aptitude and train for the rest. DTOUCH, our in-house learning platform, has delivered more than 5,000 certifications and 1,200 AI-certified professionals, and training continues well past onboarding.
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