micro1 is contracting senior metallurgists and AWS CWIs to make accept/reject calls on micrographs, weld macros, coatings, and LPBF cross-sections, then write the reasoning out in full so an AI model can learn from it. Work is remote, asynchronous, and paid in an observed band of $80–130/hr.

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

What the work actually involves

You will be handed real artifacts — metallographic images, weld macro etches, heat treatment records and pyrometry data, coating inspection photos and DFT readings, LPBF build logs with cross-sectional imagery — and asked for a disposition. The disposition is the easy part. The deliverable is the written record behind it: which specification clause you applied, which acceptance criterion the feature violates or satisfies, what measurement you took, and what you would have needed to see to decide differently. Expect to cite ASTM E112 grain size determinations, AMS 2750 furnace class and instrumentation requirements, AWS D1.1 or D17.1 macro acceptance criteria, SSPC surface preparation grades, and NADCAP audit expectations by name and clause, not by memory of general practice.

A second stream of work is reviewing other experts' dispositions — or model-generated ones — and marking where the reasoning breaks. That means catching a correct accept reached through the wrong clause, or a reject justified by a defect the imaging cannot actually resolve. Disagreement is expected and often more useful than consensus, provided you can say precisely where the divergence begins.

What the screen looks for

micro1's screening is AI-led and follow-up heavy. It probes whether your standards knowledge is operational rather than listed: expect to be asked for specific thresholds, what a spec requires at a given thickness or class, and what you do when the sample data is insufficient to decide. Claimed CWI credentials and years of hands-on disposition authority are checked. Vague answers get one follow-up, then the conversation moves on.

Logistics

Contractor engagement, remote, US-based preferred
Asynchronous task queues with some scheduled calibration or review sessions
Part-time volume is normal; hours flex with project phase
Observed band is $80–130/hr, positioned by certification, standards breadth, and LPBF exposure — not guaranteed
No prior AI or machine learning experience expected or required

Senior Metallurgist / Welding Inspector

What the work actually involves

What the screen looks for

Logistics

Interview prep — 10 questions