Staff AI Operations Architect
About the team/role
Reporting to the Director of Operations, the Staff AI Operations Architect will own key business strategy and outcomes for Checkr's Product & Quality Operations function — sitting at the intersection of human expertise and AI-assisted decision-making to ensure the accuracy of background check reports at scale. In 2026, we're deploying a strategy to radically transform how that work gets done: this role will lead the operational programs to prove the model works, build the frameworks that make it scalable, and drive the feedback loop that makes the system smarter over time. You'll partner closely with Analytics, ML/AI, and Product teams as Checkr advances how AI and human expertise work together and this role is central to making that vision operational.
What you’ll do
Architect and lead the shift from transactional to system-level resolutions, defining how risk drives routing and where human judgment is applied
Set accuracy thresholds and make judgment calls on speed and cost trade-offs; establish compliance guardrails and operational controls
Design and operate the human-in-the-loop framework that connects expert review to AI model improvement, defining the feedback architecture so every expert decision generates signal that makes automated detection smarter over time
Partner with Analytics, ML/AI, and Product teams as the operational voice in a cross-functional build
Architect repeatable frameworks that transform one-time solutions into systematic capabilities
What you bring
8+ years of experience in operations or business operations with a track record of designing and delivering systems that scale
Demonstrated ability to execute roadmaps while building the operational infrastructure underneath them
Experience in human-in-the-loop or AI-assisted operations, ideally in a regulated industry (background screening, fintech, healthtech, compliance)
Strong analytical skills with the ability to use data to make architectural decisions, including quality thresholds, routing logic, capacity tradeoffs - not just optimize existing processes
Cross-functional instincts: you've partnered closely with technical teams and can translate between operational reality and system design
An A-player mindset with a strong bias for action: you raise the bar, move with urgency, stay resilient through ambiguity, and take ownership to deliver meaningful outcomes
Pay Transparency Disclosure
We use geographic cost of labor as an input to develop ranges for our roles and as such, each location where we hire may have a different range. If this role is remote, we have listed the top to the bottom of the possible range, but we will specify the target range for an exact location when you are selected for a recruiting discussion. For more information on our compensation philosophy, see our website.
On-target Earnings OR Base Salary range (San Francisco, CA)
$165,000—$194,000 USD