Software Engineer (Part-Time | Remote | $85 –$125/hr)

Software Engineer (Codebase Deep Reasoning & Evaluation)

Hourly Contract | Part-Time Remote | $85 –$125 per hour

1. About the Role

world’s leading AI research labs

complex, production-grade repositories

specific references to files, functions, and line numbers

2. You’re a Great Fit If You

• Have

  4+ years of elite software engineering experience

  at top-tier startups, quantitative trading firms, hedge funds, or similarly demanding technical environments.
• Have experience using

  coding agents or LLMs

  (e.g., Copilot, GPT-4, Claude, or Replit Agents) in your engineering workflow.
• Hold a

  degree in Computer Science

  (or equivalent practical expertise).
• Are fluent in

  Python

  and

  JavaScript/TypeScript

  , and can comfortably read

  Java, Go, Rust, C++, or C#

  .
• Excel at

  systematic exploration

  — analyzing multiple files and dependencies before forming conclusions.
• Demonstrate

  evidence-based reasoning

  , citing concrete code references rather than assumptions.
• Possess strong

  cross-file synthesis

  skills, explaining how distributed logic connects across large systems.
• Show deep

  architectural understanding

  , identifying design patterns and performance tradeoffs.
• Display

  intellectual honesty

  and humility when reasoning under uncertainty.
• Communicate insights clearly through

  structured technical documentation

  .

3. Example Domains & Projects

You may work across diverse real-world repositories, such as:

• Web APIs

  and backend microservices

• CLI tools

  and data processing pipelines

• Frontend applications

  and DevOps tooling

• Security

  , observability, and performance-critical architectures

Each project will test your ability to trace logic across files, connect system layers, and reason about design tradeoffs.

4. Engagement Details

• Type:

  Short-term, high-impact project sprint

• Timeline:

  24-hour sprint launching in the next 1–2 weeks

• Commitment:

  Flexible, remote, and asynchronous participation

• Compensation:

  Task-based pay; top performers have earned

  $1,000+

  during prior sprints

• Classification:

  Independent Contractor (via Mercor)

• Payment:

  Weekly payouts via

  Stripe Connect

  for approved work

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