Backend Software Engineer: Python

Location: San Francisco, California, US
Recruiter: Mercor
Date posted: Sunday, December 14, 2025

 

Job Description:

Mercor is hiring experienced Python Engineers to support a variety of high-impact research collaborations with leading AI labs. Freelancers will help improve AI systems through work extending coding benchmarks that reflect real-world development across diverse languages and domains.

This is a unique opportunity to apply your engineering expertise toward shaping the next generation of intelligent systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and validate coding benchmarks in Python by curating issues, solutions, and test suites from real-world repositories

• Ensure benchmark tasks include comprehensive unit and integration tests for solution verification

• Maintain consistency and scalability of benchmark task distribution

• Provide structured feedback on solution quality and clarity

• Debug, optimize, and document benchmark code for reliability and reproducibility

Ideal Qualifications

• 310 years of experience as a backend software engineer, ML engineer, or applied data scientist

• Degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field

• Strong proficiency in Python

• Experience with debugging, testing, and validating code

• Comfortable with technical writing and attention to detail

Project Timeline

• Start Date: Immediate

• Duration: 1 month

• Commitment: Part-time (1520 hours/week)

• Schedule: Fully remote and asynchronous flexible working hours

Compensation & Contract

• $80 per hour plus lucrative bonus per approved task (1 task takes approximately 1 hour to complete)

  • Median average pay inclusive of bonuses is $200/hr

• Independent contractor

• Daily payment via Stripe Connect

Application & Onboarding Process

• Upload your resume

• AI interview: A short, 15-minute conversational session to understand your background, experience, and interest in the role

• Brief assessment testing real-world coding ability, technical depth, and debugging approach

• Follow-up communication within a few days with next steps and onboarding details

**About Mercor **Mercor is a San Francisco-based company specializing in connecting elite professionals with cutting-edge AI initiatives. Our investors include Benchmark, General Catalyst, Adam DAngelo, Larry Summers, and Jack Dorsey. Thousands of professionals across engineering, research, and creative fields have partnered with Mercor on frontier projects shaping the future of AI.

Apply today and leverage your software engineering expertise to help build the future of AI-driven systems!

 

Apply for this job on Mercor