Software Engineer – Backend

Employment Type: Contractor
Work Arrangement: Remote
Schedule: Approximately 15 hours per week
Schedule Flexibility: Choose your preferred working days and hours, including weekends

Compensation

Annualized Full-Time Equivalent: $57,600–$192,000 per year

Hourly Rate: $30–$100 per hour

The annualized figure is based on 40 hours per week and 48 working weeks per year and is provided for comparison only. Actual earnings will depend on the part-time workload, tasks completed, and project requirements.

About the Role

We are seeking experienced Backend Software Engineers to apply their software engineering expertise to the development and evaluation of next-generation AI systems.

You will create realistic and challenging coding tasks focused on backend engineering, including feature implementation, debugging, code refactoring, and performance optimization. You will also develop deterministic verifiers that distinguish reasonable, valid solutions from incorrect, incomplete, or hard-coded implementations.

Prior AI experience is not required. Strong backend engineering expertise and sound technical judgment are the primary requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Create realistic and challenging backend software engineering tasks for AI systems.

• Design coding problems involving feature implementation, debugging, refactoring, and performance optimization.

• Develop tasks based on real-world backend engineering scenarios.

• Build deterministic verifiers that accept valid solutions across reasonable implementations.

• Ensure verifiers reject incorrect, incomplete, or hard-coded solutions.

• Define clear technical requirements and expected outcomes for each task.

• Evaluate different approaches to solving backend engineering problems.

• Apply strong code review and software engineering judgment.

• Work with codebases involving scalable services, APIs, debugging, testing, and performance optimization.

• Develop technically rigorous tasks that assess practical backend engineering ability.

Required Qualifications

• Strong professional experience in backend software engineering.

• Experience with one or more of Java, Node.js, Go, Rust, TypeScript, Python, or C++.

• Proven experience building scalable services and APIs.

• Strong debugging and troubleshooting skills.

• Experience implementing software features in production codebases.

• Experience with performance optimization and identifying system bottlenecks.

• Experience with automated testing.

• Strong code review instincts and software engineering judgment.

• Strong understanding of algorithms and data structures.

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.

• Strong technical communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven track record delivering high-quality, performant backend systems.

• Experience identifying and resolving complex software bugs.

• Experience refactoring large or complex codebases.

• Experience implementing non-trivial features in large-scale applications.

• Strong understanding of foundational computer science concepts.

• Experience working with multiple backend programming languages or technology stacks.

Technical Skills

• Python

• Java

• Rust

• C++

• TypeScript

• Node.js

• Go

• Backend Development

• API Development

• Algorithms

• Data Structures

• Bug Fixing

• Feature Implementation

• Codebase Refactoring

• Performance Optimization

• Automated Testing

• Code Review

Selection Process

The selection process is designed to evaluate independent technical reasoning and problem-solving ability.

1. Application and screening questions

2. AI interview — approximately 15–20 minutes

3. Technical assessment, if required

4. Hiring manager review

Candidates are expected to complete assessment stages independently without outside assistance.

Compensation Structure

Compensation is output-based. Experts are paid per task that meets the applicable project specifications and quality requirements.

The time required to complete individual tasks may vary depending on experience, technical approach, and workflow. Minimum submission requirements apply, including a minimum number of completed tasks per week.

Start Timeline

The role is designed for candidates who are ready to begin promptly.

Selected candidates are expected to start their first tasks within 24–48 hours of completing onboarding.