AI Engineer (Remote | Up to $85/hr)

Base pay range

$85.00/hr – $85.00/hr

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Helping AI Startups Hire 0→1 Founding Engineers & Product Talent | Backend & Infra | US & Europe

Exceptional Software Engineers (Experience Using Agents)

Hourly Contract | Remote | $85 per hour

1. About the Role

Mercor is partnering with one of the world’s leading AI research labs to hire exceptional software engineers who will contribute to building high-performance, production-grade systems that power next-generation machine learning applications.

In this role, you’ll work on real-world engineering problems — from environment configuration and database architecture to API development and service-layer integration with advanced AI models.

This opportunity is ideal for top-tier engineers who have hands‑on experience using AI coding agents in their workflows and thrive in fast‑paced, technical environments.

2. Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement scalable APIs, databases, and system architectures that interface with advanced AI models.
• Configure environments and optimize pipelines for real‑world ML applications.
• Lead or contribute to the development of complex database schemas and data‑driven workflows.
• Use AI coding agents effectively as part of your software engineering process.
• Collaborate with AI researchers and engineers to improve automation, reasoning, and performance in software systems.
• Write clean, modular, and maintainable code with comprehensive testing and documentation.

3. Ideal Qualifications

• 3+ years of elite software engineering experience from top‑tier startups, quantitative trading firms, hedge funds, or similarly demanding environments.
• Proven experience using AI coding assistants or agents as part of your engineering workflow.
• Degree in Computer Science or related field from a top university in the U.S., Canada, or U.K.
• Expertise in API development, including creation, testing, and integration.
• Advanced proficiency in SQL and database structuring.
• Strong knowledge of scalable system design and cloud‑based architecture.
• Excellent problem‑solving ability, technical rigor, and communication skills.
• Access to large codebases you’ve personally developed or maintained is a strong plus.

4. Role Highlights

• Commitment: 10–20 hours per week, with potential to scale up to 40 hours.
• Duration: Minimum 1–2 months, with extension opportunities based on performance.
• Schedule: Fully remote and asynchronous — work at your own pace.
• Start Date: Mid to late September (applications reviewed on a rolling basis).

5. Compensation & Legal Terms

• Hourly Rate: $70–$110/hour (based on experience and expertise).
• Payments: Weekly via Stripe Connect for approved hours worked.

⚡ PS: Mercor reviews applications daily. Please complete your interview and onboarding steps to be considered for this opportunity. ⚡

Seniority level

• Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Part-time

Job function

• Engineering and Information Technology

Industries

• Software Development