Jennifer Barajas

About Jennifer Barajas

As a linguist, QA strategist, project specialist, and cross-functional leader, I specialize in designing and scaling human-centered evaluation frameworks for AI/ML systems—ensuring that outputs are linguistically accurate, ethically aligned, and rooted in real-world user needs.With substantial industry experience supporting various Big Tech clients, I bring deep expertise in clarifying ambiguity, translating loose requirements into structured workflows, and delivering consistent, high-quality results across fast-paced, multilingual AI initiatives.Currently, I lead several large-scale evaluation programs spanning:• LLM performance assessment (short- and long-term projects)• Machine translation quality and gender de-biasing• Maps localization and pronunciation supportMy work bridges the gap between language, data, and technology—operationalizing evaluation rubrics, calibrating diverse rater teams, and improving inter-rater reliability to ensure outputs meet both user expectations and Responsible AI standards.I’m especially skilled at collaborating across teams of linguists, engineers, product managers, and annotators to co-create scalable evaluation processes that evolve with the model lifecycle. My approach focuses on creating QA systems that are human-in-the-loop, culturally aware, and adaptable at scale.Before transitioning into tech, I was a tenured Associate Professor of Spanish and Linguistics, where I taught, published peer-reviewed research, and built curricula that helped students become sharper thinkers and communicators. I now apply that academic rigor to industry evaluation design—bringing a researcher’s mindset, an educator’s clarity, and a strategist’s discipline to every engagement.

Experience

1. Sr Project Specialist, Linguistics

   Appen

   Aug 2025 — Present

   AI/ML Evaluation: Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) Frameworks | Onboarding | Rater Calibration | QA Metrics | Inter Rater Reliability Optimization-Experienced Project Manager | End to End Project Delivery | Agile Execution

Education

• California State University, Fullerton

  Bachelor of Arts - BA, International Business & Spanish

  1998 — 2003

• California State University, Fullerton

  Master of Arts - MA, Spanish Language and Literature

  2007

• The Ohio State University

  Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Hispanic Linguistics

  2010 — 2014

• The Ohio State University

  Master's degree, Hispanic Linguistics

  2008 — 2010