Linguistics Expert

Overview We seek a highly experienced Linguistics SME to consult on AI training data projects for leading model builders and enterprises. Your focus will be to define success criteria, review outputs, and provide targeted guidance to improve quality and speed—directly contributing to the successful delivery of domain‑specific annotated datasets that meet the highest technical standards. Key Responsibilities Define domain‑specific quality success metrics (e.g., accuracy of transcription, consistency in linguistic annotation schemes, phonetic transcription accuracy, adherence to grammatical frameworks, correct use of linguistic markup standards such as IPA or Universal Dependencies). Develop project‑specific SOPs, QA rubrics, and reference materials to meet client technical standards. Review project outputs (transcriptions, annotations, language datasets) against technical standards, flagging and correcting defects before client delivery. Perform structured QA passes on daily/weekly deliverables; flag, track, and resolve defects quickly to hit delivery deadlines. Return work to contractors with precise remediation notes. Provide advisory input on tools, workflows, and processes to meet quality benchmarks. Handle specification changes and edge‑case scenarios—e.g., annotation of rare dialects or ambiguous language constructs—drafting acceptance criteria or workarounds. Curate gold‑standard linguistic data libraries for calibration and comparability to agreed reference samples. Participate in vetting and assessing technical contractor talent for specific projects, including transcription accuracy tests and linguistic annotation evaluations. Review sample work from contractors and provide precise, actionable written feedback to improve outputs. Create targeted training or calibration resources—e.g., phonetic transcription guidelines, morphological analysis instructions, disambiguation procedures. Advise on technical scoping and requirements during project setup, including selection of annotation frameworks and language coverage specifications. Provide expert guidance for edge cases, technical exceptions, and specification changes. Contribute to post‑project reviews to capture lessons learned and improve future standards. Identify and summarize client model observations and insights (e.g., frequent misannotations, language‑specific bias patterns). Build dashboards or trackers with defect categories and recurrence to surface production insights that improve project outcomes. Conduct post‑mortems, analyze defect trends, and propose process tweaks or training refreshers. Target Profile Advanced degree (ideally PhD) in Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, or a closely related field, with demonstrable research or industry impact. 5+ years professional expertise in linguistic analysis, annotation standards, and language data quality control. Proven ability to set, enforce, and maintain high technical standards in linguistic data creation projects. Strong communication skills for delivering clear technical guidance. Experience producing technical documentation, quality rubrics, or training resources. Ability to work within fixed project timelines and scope. Strong attention to detail, documentation discipline, and commitment to accuracy and consistency. Fluency in spoken and written English, with additional language proficiency preferred. Example Data Annotation Scope Linguistics – Register/genre fit enforcement, dialect fidelity, orthography consistency Sociolinguistics – Dialect/register policy setting, code‑switch handling Phonetics & Phonology – Transcription accuracy, disfluency policy, prosodic annotation Applied Linguistics – Script/orthography/romanization standards, tokenization Computational Linguistics – Named entity handling, punctuation conventions Corpus Linguistics – Metadata completeness, defect tracking, IAA monitoring Translation & Localization – Policy compliance checking, edge‑case arbitration Language Technology – Validator creation (regex/scripts), automation of QA checks Psycholinguistics – Prompt/script design, scenario coverage Language Documentation – Gold‑standard library curation, reviewer calibration Language Studies – Multiscript/multimodal transcription QA Compensation & Logistics Pay range: $25–$100 per hour (rate determined by experience, expertise, and geographic location). Contractors supply a secure computer and high‑speed internet. Company‑sponsored benefits such as health insurance and PTO do not apply. Employment type: Contract. Workplace: Remote. Seniority level: Senior. #J-18808-Ljbffr