Principal Engineer / Professor — Technical Expert

$85–185/hr

rate as listed

Workload: ~15h/week
Engagement: Project-based
Location: Worldwide
Field: STEM and Coding

Design difficult, gradable technical problems that test AI systems in aerospace, semiconductors, manufacturing and industrial engineering, or materials science. This remote contract is intended for principal-level technical leaders, national lab experts, and faculty with advanced degrees and hands-on domain ownership.

The work

You will create technically demanding problems from your own field, supply realistic constraints and supporting data, and produce a correct solution with a verifiable reasoning path. You will also define objective grading criteria, review other contributors’ problems, and flag tasks that are ambiguous or cannot be graded reliably.

Relevant domains

The work covers aerospace, semiconductors, manufacturing and industrial engineering, and materials science. Candidates need deep, hands-on expertise in at least one of these areas, including familiarity with cases where constraints, assumptions, or method selection make a plausible textbook response incorrect.

What the screen assesses

micro1 screens for a Master’s or PhD in a relevant engineering or physical science field, plus principal, staff, or fellow-level industry experience, national laboratory experience at that level, or a faculty appointment at a leading university. Expect follow-up questions about work you personally owned, the technical basis for your decisions, how you would make a problem objectively gradable, and how you distinguish a difficult task from an underspecified one. Publications, patents, or a record of technical leadership are a strong plus, while prior AI experience is not required.

Logistics

The role is fully remote and structured as flexible contract work that can fit alongside a current position. The listing does not state typical weekly hours or confirm that all collaboration is asynchronous, so candidates should be ready to give realistic availability and clarify scheduling expectations during onboarding.

Pay band: $85–185/hr

What they look for

Technical Depth in a Subdomain
Engineering Judgment Under Constraints
Knowing When an Answer Is Wrong
advanced engineering and materials

Included with this listing

Interview prep — 10 questions

Matched to what this platform's screening actually measures. Answer each out loud in 60–90 seconds: claim → concrete example → implication.

What it tests: This verifies the required academic and professional track while checking whether the candidate’s seniority reflects substantive technical responsibility rather than title alone.
A strong answer: Give the degree field, institution or research focus, relevant appointments, and concrete scope of responsibility. Distinguish work personally owned from work performed by the wider organization or laboratory.
Where people lose it: Candidates lose points by listing prestigious employers or titles without identifying the systems, research, or technical decisions for which they were directly accountable.

Summary, eligibility guidance and screening preparation are prepared by Sidequest from the platform's posting. Check the source listing before applying.

STEM AND CODING on Sidequest

What stem and coding AI work pays

Rates by specialty, the platforms hiring, and every open role in this field.