What the work involves

You take on discrete engineering tasks and complete them the way a competent working engineer would — then show your reasoning. That means building or revising CAD models of components and assemblies, producing detailed drawings with GD&T and title-block discipline, assembling BOMs, and running stress, tolerance stack-up, or DFM assessments. A large share of the value sits in the write-up: the assumptions you made, the load cases you chose, why you selected a wall thickness or a fit class, and what you would have checked next with more information. Some tasks are generative (produce the design), some are evaluative (review a model or a proposed solution and identify what is wrong with it and why).

Because the output feeds model training and evaluation, reproducibility matters more than polish. A drawing that looks clean but hides an undimensioned feature is worse than a rougher one with every decision traceable. Expect tasks to be self-contained, spec'd in writing, and reviewed against a rubric rather than a design review meeting.

What the screen looks for

  • Real hands-on CAD depth in at least one major platform — SolidWorks, Fusion 360, NX, CATIA, Inventor, AutoCAD — not coursework familiarity
  • Whether you can talk about manufacturing constraints unprompted: draft, minimum radii, bend allowance, machinable features, tolerance achievability
  • Whether your analysis instinct is calibrated — knowing when hand calculations suffice and when FEA is warranted, and being honest about mesh and boundary-condition limitations
  • Clear technical writing, since documentation is a graded deliverable, not an afterthought

Logistics

Fully remote and asynchronous. The engagement is scoped to roughly 2–3 weeks with 10–20 hours per week on accepted projects; you choose which projects to take. You supply your own CAD access. Pay is project-based and has been observed up to $100/hour — rates depend on task type and are not guaranteed. Expect an AI-led screening interview before task access, with follow-up questions that drill into specifics you volunteer.