Hi, I'm Sarah DeYoung - Ex-Google Staff Linguist TL
I am passionate about organizing the world's information and making it accessible to all. I thrive when leading interdisciplinary teams through complex data challenges, blending deep linguistic theory with technical rigor to build intuitive, scalable search systems.
At a glance
Curated signals on strengths, focus areas, and how they can help.
Advanced from academic linguistic roles to key technical positions at a global search leader.
Currently directs interdisciplinary teams of ontologists to optimize global product searchability and data accessibility.
Can provide expert guidance on structuring data taxonomies and managing technical linguistic operations.
🚀 Career trajectory
Foundations in Software Documentation, Schema Data, and Operations
Started with content creation including anything from end-user documentation and support to structured schema language data, overseeing operations for scaled development and growth
✦ Technical Writing
✦ Schema Data
✦ Data Analytics
✦ Operations
✦ Project Management
Shift into Ontologies and Schema Design, taking on Team Leadership and People Management
Moved focus up a level in the knowledge hierarchy, designing and developing the ontologies and schema that provide the structure for detailed knowledge data, leading a small team of ontologists and analytical linguists
✦ Ontology
✦ Schema
✦ Knowledge Management
✦ Data Migrations
✦ Technical Leadership
✦ People Management
Major role expansions into Applied AI and return to Technical Writing roots
Pivoted and accelerated growth of existing team to serve critical GenAI efforts as LLM development experts, while taking on people management of technical writing group with Agentic AI and core infra focus
✦ Applied AI
✦ Autoraters
✦ RAG
✦ Technical Writing
✦ Group Management
💪🏻 Superpowers
Big (Messy) Data Knowledge Architect
Expert at leading development of LLM and structured data solutions that make the ambiguous unambiguous
✦ Experience architecting and integrating large scale ontologies and schema data across locales at Google scale
✦ Expertise in consulting with backend and frontend engineering teams to optimize data usage for user impact
✦ Highly skilled in scoping opportunities in messy and rapidly changing product areas to identify and land impactful data launches and migrations
Team Leadership & Empowerment
Empathetic people manager and technical lead who fosters growth and excellence to build teams of amazing, collaborative innovators
✦ Leads teams from a range of technical specializations (knowledge engineering, applied AI/ML linguists, taxonomists, and technical writers) -- an expert at learning a wide range of technical domains and also when to step back and elevate the perspectives of team experts
✦ Highly skilled at building resilient and creative teams who deal with adversity through collaboration and commitment
✦ Adept at connecting the right people to the right opportunities, simultaneously driving forward strategically critical efforts and the career goals of team members
Strategic Vision & Stakeholder Engagement
Innovative thinker who engages teammates and leadership alike around exciting solutions to problems with real user and internal impact
✦ Identifies, plans, and manages project lifecycles from conceptual design to global product deployment
✦ Coordinates efforts and drives alignment across teams to facilitate collaboration and broader success
✦ Leverages SQL, NLP, and other techniques to ensure data-driven development and targeted impact
✦ Engages with stakeholders to continually direct efforts to be in alignment with broader strategy and goals while maintaining ongoing support and staffing for owned projects
I'm excited about
✦ Finding opportunities to apply my technical skills to solve problems with real world impacts (climate tech, nonprofits)
✦ Influencing the applications of GenAI to more targeted problem sets while working to reduce its social and environmental harms
✦ Broadening my network of great people beyond the amazing teammates I've already had the opportunity to collaborate with
I can help with
✦ Providing feedback on resumes and cover letters (many years of performance reviews under my belt as a people manager)
✦ Consulting on context, ontology, and RAG implementations in LLM solution development
I would love your help on
✦ Sourcing or referrals for knowledge architect, data scientist, or similar roles at companies or nonprofit organizations (environmental, sustainable energy, AI harm reduction, or similar sectors)
✦ Any suggested improvements to resume, linkedin, etc that can help remove my Google blinders and improve clarity and impact for external audiences