Software Engineer

$30–100/hr

rate as listed

Workload: ~15 hrs/week
Engagement: Project-based
Location: Location not stated
Field: STEM and Coding

Create realistic backend feature and bug-fix tasks that test how AI systems write and reason about code. Build deterministic verifiers that accept valid implementations while rejecting incomplete, incorrect or hard-coded solutions.

The work

You will design realistic coding tasks based on feature implementation and bug fixing, then implement deterministic verifiers for each task. The verifiers need to allow reasonable solution variants while reliably rejecting incorrect behavior, regressions and attempts to satisfy only visible examples. The listing looks for strong backend experience in Java, Node.js, Go, Rust, Typescript, Python, C++ or similar.

What the screening covers

The process includes screening questions, an AI interview of approximately 30 minutes, a tentative technical assessment and hiring manager review. Expect follow-up on scalable services and APIs, debugging, performance analysis, automated testing, code review, refactoring, algorithms and data structures. A strong testing background is a plus, particularly experience with test strategy, large test suites, flaky-test diagnosis or improving a team’s testing practices. The interview and project work must be completed without outside assistance.

Logistics

This is a remote contractor role with a workload of approximately 15 hours per week. You can choose your hours and days, including weekends, although the listing does not explicitly describe the work as asynchronous. Compensation is output-based, with payment tied to tasks that meet project specifications, and minimum weekly submission requirements apply. Selected experts are expected to begin their first tasks within 24 to 48 hours after onboarding.

Pay band: $30–100/hr

What they look for

Python3
JAVA
Rust
Algorithms
Basics C++
Typescript
bug fixing
feature implementation
codebase refactoring
performance optimization

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 tests whether your backend experience is grounded in a verifiable system, including its architecture, load profile, failure modes and your personal contribution.
A strong answer: Describe one specific service, the language and infrastructure used, the scale or reliability target, and a design decision you personally owned. Include measurable outcomes or operational evidence rather than describing the team’s work in general.
Where people lose it: Candidates lose points by calling a system scalable without giving traffic, latency, data-volume, availability or deployment details that show what scale meant.

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

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