AI ENGINEERING SPECIALIST - PHD

About the job Mercor connects elite creative and technical talent with leading AI research labs. Headquartered in San Francisco, our investors include Benchmark , General Catalyst , Peter Thiel , Adam D'Angelo , Larry Summers , and Jack Dorsey . Position: Engineering & Software Domain Expert Type: Contract Compensation: $65–$105/hour Location: Hybrid, Bay Area, California Commitment: 40 hours/week Role Responsibilities • Evaluate the quality of engineering knowledge work tasks and AI model outputs . Identify missing behaviors, thin reasoning, and code errors. • Develop high-quality instruction specs and golden solutions for engineering problems. Define new tasks reflecting practical engineering work. • Design challenging engineering tasks and evaluation sets. Build domain-specific skills and tools with the research team. • Collaborate with client researchers and specialists to maintain consistent standards. Translate tacit engineering judgment into explicit criteria. • Work independently and asynchronously to meet deadlines while improving AI model performance . Qualifications Must-Have • Bachelor's degree or higher in computer science, software engineering, or a related field. MS or PhD preferred. • 4+ years of professional engineering practice, building and shipping production software or systems. • Specialization in areas like distributed systems, security, embedded systems, or machine learning . • Progression to a senior level, such as Senior, Staff, Principal, or Engineering Lead. • Hands-on use of large language models in professional work. • Commitment to 40 hours/week for an initial 6-month engagement. • Reside in the Bay Area, California , and work on-site as required. Resources & Support • For details about the interview process and platform information, please check: https://talent.docs.mercor.com/welcome • For any help or support, reach out to: support@mercor.com PS: Our team reviews applications daily. Please complete your AI interview and application steps to be considered for this opportunity.