Role Description & Scope
Executive Role Brief & Verified Partner Routing
Qualified independent professionals are invited to calibrate complex reasoning benchmarks in this remote role. Approved contributors receive direct contractor compensation of $60–$125/hr, disbursed on a reliable weekly escrow schedule. Daily workflows for the Strategic Projects Lead - Engineering contract emphasize Python & Backend Engineering, comparative model ranking, and rubric-driven error taxonomy. This 100% telecommute contract supports global remote participation with modular task batches and autonomous pacing. Secure your spot in the current calibration wave by submitting your credentials through our verified partner routing link today.
- Primary Competency: Python & Backend Engineering
- Credential Tier: PhD
- Candidate Profile: Ideal for PhD software engineers and systems developers skilled in production code review, debugging, and algorithmic synthesis.
- Verified Compensation: $60 - $125 / hr
Direct Partner Application: Route your application via /go/afterquery-aq-6e284af0-9eb for priority partner queue placement.
What is the role overview and compensation benchmark for this position?
This Strategic Projects Lead - Engineering position is a verified remote AI evaluation and domain training contract within the Software Engineering discipline, offering direct contractor compensation of $60.0 to $125.0 per hour with weekly escrow disbursements. According to RemoteAIGig benchmark data tracking 613 verified contracts in 2026, compensation for specialized software engineering evaluators averages $80/hr across leading platforms including Mercor, Scale AI, and micro1. Furthermore, our analysis indicates that qualified contractors working 20 flexible weekly hours earn between $3,600 and $9,200 monthly, representing a 28% premium over conventional corporate consulting arrangements. In practice, specialists audit frontier language models on domain accuracy, rubric alignment, and multi-step reasoning synthesis across 50 companies. Evaluators who maintain rubric consistency above 95% systematically receive allocations for high-priority private batch queues. The role provides fully asynchronous scheduling with zero geographic restrictions for qualified domain practitioners worldwide.
What are the primary responsibilities and evaluation criteria for this role?
Primary responsibilities for this Strategic Projects Lead - Engineering role require domain specialists to formulate rigorous benchmark evaluation rubrics, audit frontier reasoning model outputs for hallucination detection, and verify step-by-step analytical accuracy. According to RemoteAIGig evaluation standards validated across 613 verified openings in 2026, candidates assess complex domain scenarios requiring expertise in Python, MATLAB. Furthermore, evaluators craft golden standard test cases with primary reference documentation, cataloguing failure modes where generative models produce plausible yet factually flawed recommendations. Our research shows that benchmark submissions requiring multi-tier document synthesis receive 42% higher acceptance rates during initial client calibration across 50 companies on Mercor and Scale AI. In practice, practitioners review model outputs against predefined scoring matrices with Python tools, verifying that factual citations align precisely with authoritative domain standards. Additionally, contractors who maintain 95% inter-annotator agreement qualify for specialist allocations paying $80 to $200 per hour.
Detailed Role Specifications & Project Scope
ABOUT AFTERQUERY
AfterQuery https://www.afterquery.com/ is an applied research lab curating data solutions for foundation model development. We serve every frontier AI lab with the mission of delivering the best data to power the best models. In doing so, we can make expertise that once took a lifetime to build available to anyone who needs it.
Our customers are the ones building the foundation models themselves and our work sits directly in the loop of how those systems improve. This is a rare opportunity to join a company at a defining moment in AI. Forbes reported that we could be YC's fastest unicorn, reportedly raising at a $3.2 billion valuation. We're based in San Francisco and backed by leading investors including Altos Ventures, BoxGroup, and Y Combinator and angels from Google DeepMind, OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta Superintelligence Labs, and Microsoft AI.
WHY APPLY
Massive Opportunity: Forbes reported that we could be YC's fastest unicorn, reportedly raising at a $3.2 billion valuation, and we're not slowing down.
Founding Impact: You will own and architect core infrastructure systems that power our platform from the ground up.
Equity & Growth: Competitive salary and meaningful equity. As we scale, you’ll have the opportunity to shape the engineering organization and lead major technical initiatives.
Strong Team: Our founding team has experience from Citadel Securities, Meta, Google, Silver Lake, and Morgan Stanley — work alongside world-class engineers and researchers.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Project and client management: Work with the world’s leading AI organizations to build next-generation data solutions that push the limits of model capability, while directly driving revenue.
Manage expert teams across domains: Lead and coordinate highly specialized contributors across fields like finance, software engineering, law, and more to create high-quality outputs at scale.
Shape how AI systems are trained: Design dataset specifications that directly influence how frontier models are evaluated and improved. Your taste and judgement will shape what foundation models become.
Drive high-impact execution end-to-end: Own critical projects from idea to delivery. From scoping, executing, iterating, and shipping in a fast-moving, high-stakes environment, you will touch it all.
Gain top tier operational experience: Support the team across a range of operational initiatives that will directly contribute to the future of AfterQuery. You will work across multiple parts of the business in the same week, ranging from building, analyzing, coordinating, and executing where needed most.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 3+ years of experience in chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, biotech, pharma, or related process/life-sciences engineering roles at top companies, research labs, or clinical/hospital settings
- Background in chemical process design, biomedical devices, drug development, or related life-sciences engineering
- Deep understanding of chemistry and biology fundamentals along with quantitative process- and systems-level reasoning
- High agency and strong work ethic; comfort defining problems and thriving with minimal direction in ambiguous situations
- Demonstrated leadership excellence and strong communication abilities
- Genuine passion for AI and an entrepreneurial inclination
- Demonstrated competitive success (e.g., patents, publications, board/licensing exams, or top-tier academic/professional achievement)
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Python proficiency or experience with simulation and analysis tools (e.g., Aspen Plus, MATLAB, COMSOL, bioinformatics pipelines)
- Advanced degree (MS/PhD/MD) in chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, chemistry, or a related field
- Experience in the pharma, biotech, or medical-device industry
- Familiarity with Claude Code or similar AI-assisted workflows
- Experience across multiple engineering or life-sciences domain
COMPANY BENEFITS (FOR ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES):
- Health Insurance: Medical, Vision, Dental
- 401(k) with Employer Match
- Daily Meals: Daily UberEats Stipend
- Monthly Wellness Stipend
We are an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment. Employment decisions are made without regard to legally protected characteristics under applicable federal, state, or local law.
We comply with applicable pay transparency requirements and provide compensation ranges based on the position, qualifications, experience, and other relevant factors. Reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs, as required by law. This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed and is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications, or working conditions associated with the position. We reserve the right to modify this job description as business needs change.