I want a problem I can sink my teeth into and the freedom to work it out my own way. I'm analytical and competitive, happiest in the weeds of a messy dataset or a broken process. Give me autonomy and a hard problem and I'm all in.
Sid Taylor
@sidtaylor
Five years in regulated insurance QA, now building AI evaluation pipelines from scratch. Remote, Australia.
What I'm looking for
I came up through frontline work in regulated financial services and ended up running the quality side of it. The first few years were sales and retention. Early on I sold life, trauma, and income protection insurance at CIGNA, where I held a top-three national ranking for four months straight. I led a small sales team for a while, then moved into a high-volume retention role at Acenda. After a couple of years on the phones I shifted into the part of the work I cared most about: building the quality assurance and enablement function. That meant designing QC frameworks, running audits, writing the compliance and review documentation, and putting together onboarding programs that took new hires from zero to competent in four to eight weeks. I built rubric-based assessment matrices so capability got measured consistently instead of by gut feel, and I owned our obligations under the Life Insurance Code of Practice.
Before any of that I worked a 111 emergency line in New Zealand, triaging calls across police, fire, and ambulance for about two and a half years. That kind of work teaches you to stay accurate when everything is urgent and a wrong call has real consequences. It is the reason precision under pressure is the part of my background I trust most.
In the last couple of years I got pulled into AI and could not put it down. I taught myself to direct tools like Claude Code and the Claude API to build things that actually run. The project I am proudest of is an autonomous content pipeline orchestrated through self-hosted n8n on a VPS, where I built a vision-based QA layer that replaced roughly 199 per-frame quality checks with about ten batched calls using weighted defect scoring. The evaluation thinking behind it was the same thinking I used in insurance QA, just aimed at a different kind of output. I have also built a gamified budgeting web app and a Melbourne parking finder that pulls live from City of Melbourne open data, and I am currently working through the architecture for an AI trading system with regulatory compliance built in from the start rather than bolted on later.
What ties all of it together is evaluation and systems. I like working out how to judge whether an output is good, then building the structure that makes that judgment repeatable, whether the output is a phone call, an insurance file, or something an AI produced. I do my best work somewhere technical and detail-heavy, I learn unfamiliar things quickly, and I am set up to work remotely across time zones from Australia. I also hold an RG146 Tier 2 qualification in general insurance.
I am open to a range of work: quality assurance, AI evaluation and data annotation, training and enablement, customer success operations, or anything that rewards being precise and untangling messy systems. If the problem is interesting and the bar is high, I want to hear about it.
Experience
Work history, roles, and key accomplishments
AI Pipeline Architect
Self-Directed
Jan 2025 - Present (1 year 5 months)
Built an end-to-end autonomous AI content pipeline using Claude API and n8n, implementing a batch Vision QA system that reduced ~199 per-keyframe quality checks to ~10 batch calls with weighted defect scoring. Implemented automated quality gates and human-in-the-loop workflows to flag anomalies for expert review across thousands of generated assets.
AI Pipeline Architect
Self-Directed
Jan 2025 - Present (1 year 5 months)
Architect and build autonomous AI systems, including an end-to-end AI content pipeline with automated quality gates and human-in-the-loop review workflows. Implemented batch QA using Claude Vision API that reduced per-item checks from ~199 to ~10 calls while maintaining rubric-based defect scoring and triage.
Quality, Coaching & Enablement Associate
acenda
Nov 2023 - Mar 2026 (2 years 4 months)
I was in charge of ensuring the Retention department had all the necessary tools, knowledge and experience to effectively perform at their roles
Quality & Enablement Associate
Acenda
Nov 2023 - Mar 2026 (2 years 4 months)
Led quality assurance and compliance operations for the retention and loyalty team, building QC programs, running systematic audits, and reporting against regulatory and internal benchmarks. Designed onboarding induction (4–8 weeks), created rubric-based assessment frameworks, and maintained 100% adherence to operational and compliance requirements under LICOP.
Quality & Compliance Associate
Acenda Life Insurance
Nov 2023 - Mar 2026 (2 years 4 months)
Led quality assurance and compliance operations for a retention and loyalty team by building QC programs, conducting systematic audits, and reporting performance against regulatory and internal quality benchmarks. Designed 4–8 week onboarding induction programs and maintained comprehensive QC/compliance documentation to ensure 100% adherence to LICOP authority levels and operational guidelines.
Loyalty Associate
Acenda Life Insurance
Feb 2021 - Nov 2023 (2 years 9 months)
Managed high-volume inbound retention calls across an insurance product suite, exceeding loyalty and retention targets through personalised, compliant engagement. Analysed call data and customer feedback to identify service pain points, implement process improvements, and reduce average resolution times.
Loyalty Associate
Acenda
Feb 2021 - Nov 2023 (2 years 9 months)
Managed high-volume inbound retention calls across an insurance product suite, exceeding loyalty and retention targets through personalised engagement and compliant general advice. Drove service improvements by analysing call data and customer feedback, streamlining call handling processes, and coaching teammates on complex product and compliance requirements.
Digital Marketing Team Leader
Your Business Listing
Apr 2018 - Dec 2020 (2 years 8 months)
Promoted to Team Leader within six months and led coaching for a team of sales consultants via daily huddles, live coaching, and structured feedback sessions. Analysed conversion and performance data to identify skill gaps and improved pipeline execution from prospecting through close.
Digital Marketing Sales Team Lead
Your Business Listing
Apr 2018 - Dec 2020 (2 years 8 months)
Promoted to team leader within six months and led, coached, and developed sales consultants through daily huddles, live coaching, and structured feedback to improve close rates and team performance. Managed the end-to-end sales pipeline and used conversion and performance metrics to identify skill gaps and deliver targeted coaching interventions.
Insurance Sales Consultant
Cigna
Aug 2017 - Mar 2018 (7 months)
Sold life, trauma, and income protection insurance across cold and warm lead channels, achieving top 3 national ranking for four consecutive months through high conversion performance. Managed the full sales lifecycle with compliant general advice under ASIC regulatory guidelines and maintained accurate documentation aligned to quality benchmarks.
Sold life, trauma, and income protection insurance across cold and warm lead channels, ranking top 3 nationally for four consecutive months. Managed the full sales lifecycle with compliant needs identification, policy issuance, and documentation aligned to ASIC regulatory requirements.
111 Emergency Line Operator
Spark New Zealand
Feb 2015 - Aug 2017 (2 years 6 months)
Operated as a 111 emergency call-taker on New Zealand’s national emergency telecommunications network, triaging high-volume calls and coordinating dispatch across police, fire, and ambulance services. Applied strict operational protocols to assess and prioritise incidents accurately and quickly while maintaining clear communication with distressed callers under high pressure.
111 Emergency Call Taker
Spark New Zealand
Feb 2015 - Aug 2017 (2 years 6 months)
Operated as a 111 emergency call-taker, triaging high-volume calls and coordinating dispatch across police, fire, and ambulance services. Applied strict operational protocols to prioritise incidents in real time while maintaining composure with distressed callers and meeting emergency telecommunications compliance standards.
Door-to-Door Sales Consultant
UAG
Jun 2012 - Jan 2015 (2 years 7 months)
Worked as a sole-commission sales consultant across multiple categories, including charitable fundraising, newspaper subscriptions, energy brokering, internet brokering, and fibre optic upgrades. Built and managed an independent prospecting-to-close pipeline with full personal accountability for income outcomes and delivered persuasive objection handling and rapport-building through sustained high-volume face-to-face engagement.
Door-to-Door Sales Consultant
UAG
Jun 2012 - Jan 2015 (2 years 7 months)
Worked as a sole-commission sales consultant across multiple product categories, building and managing an independent prospecting-to-close pipeline without a base salary. Developed fast product knowledge, delivered persuasive pitch frameworks across diverse customer segments, and strengthened objection handling and rapport through sustained face-to-face engagement.
Carpet Layer
Carpet Court
Jan 2010 - Jan 2012 (2 years)
Measured, cut, and installed carpet and related materials across residential and commercial sites to specification and client timelines. Managed site preparation and subfloor assessment, ensuring consistent workmanship quality and finishing standards.
Carpet Installation Specialist
Carpet Court
Jan 2010 - Jan 2012 (2 years)
Measured, cut, and installed carpet, underlay, and related materials across residential and commercial sites to client timelines and specifications. Managed site preparation, subfloor assessment, and material handling to maintain consistent workmanship and finish quality within a small team environment.
General Cleaner
Tahunanui Beach Holiday Park
Jan 2007 - Jan 2010 (3 years)
Performed comprehensive cleaning and maintenance operations across accommodation units, communal facilities, and outdoor recreational areas in a seasonal holiday park. Managed daily peak-season cleaning schedules while maintaining consistent presentation standards across a high-turnover environment.
General Cleaner
Tahunanui Beach Holiday Park
Jan 2007 - Jan 2010 (3 years)
Performed comprehensive cleaning and maintenance across a busy seasonal holiday park, supporting accommodation units and communal facilities. Managed daily cleaning schedules during peak periods while maintaining consistent presentation standards in a high-turnover environment.
General Hand
Beach Cafe
Jan 2006 - Jan 2007 (1 year)
Supported daily cafe setup and breakdown, including equipment preparation, preparing service-area spaces, and end-of-day cleaning and closure procedures. Maintained a clean, organised workspace to support smooth daily operations in a customer-facing environment.
General Hand
Beach Cafe
Jan 2006 - Jan 2007 (1 year)
Supported daily café setup and breakdown, including equipment preparation, service-area maintenance, and end-of-day cleaning. Maintained an organised, clean workspace to support smooth daily operations and a strong customer-facing environment.
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Sid hasn't added their education
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