About this opportunity
Overview
Mercor is looking for a Software Engineer (Foundational) to help support a leading AI lab’s GenAI team by improving the quality of AI training data and helping build foundational models from the ground up. This role is centered on software engineering judgment for model training and evaluation work, with an emphasis on backend and systems design, algorithms, and data structures.
The position is listed as part-time and fully remote. The source also notes that the work is intended for candidates in the United States.
This opportunity is described as a W-2 employment arrangement with Cincinnatus LLC as employer of record, while placing workers directly on client teams. The posting also includes contract terms stating the work may be performed as an independent contractor, so that detail should be reviewed carefully.
What You’ll Do
- Help research and engineering teams close knowledge gaps and improve model performance on software engineering, algorithms and data structures, and backend/system design topics.
- Design challenging, domain-relevant tasks and write accurate, well-structured solutions to software engineering problems.
- Evaluate software engineering tasks and solutions, providing clear written technical feedback.
- Write, review, and debug realistic multi-file coding tasks, including unit tests and reference solutions that run cleanly.
- Develop rubrics to assess code correctness, readability, test coverage, and design tradeoffs in model-generated code.
- Collaborate with other subject matter experts to keep training data consistent and accurate.
Requirements
- At least 4 years of dedicated professional software engineering experience at a recognized top-tier technology company or high-growth startup.
- Strong production experience in Python plus at least one systems or backend language such as Java, C++, Go, or Rust.
- Hands-on experience with Git workflows, code review, automated testing, and CI.
- Clear career progression such as Software Engineer to Senior Engineer or Staff/Tech Lead.
- Ability to commit reliably for at least 20 hours per week during weekdays.
- Strong written communication skills and the ability to explain complex technical decisions clearly.
Contract and Working Terms
- The source says work is fully remote and can be completed on your own schedule.
- Projects may be extended, shortened, or concluded early depending on needs and performance.
- Payments are made weekly on Stripe or Wise based on services rendered.
- The posting states that H1-B and STEM OPT candidates cannot be supported at this time.
Additional Notes
- The role is presented as being for the United States.
- The source includes both W-2 employer-of-record language and independent contractor language; this should be reviewed manually.
