Scientific / ML Engineer

$90–$140/hr USDMercorJob location: United StatesWork arrangement unspecifiedUS residents only

At a glance

You will design, solve and evaluate machine learning and scientific computing tasks, write reference solutions and rubrics, and give written technical feedback to improve AI training data. You need 4+ years of professional or research experience plus PyTorch, JAX or TensorFlow and strong Python, and must engage at least 20 hours/week on weekdays.

Summary written by AI from the original listing.

  • At least 20 hours a week
  • Pays more than the typical $80/hr USD for similar roles on Mercor See how this pay compares ↓
  • Posted Nov 9, 2026 · 15 openings reported

About the role

Join a leading AI lab's cutting-edge GenAI team to be at the core of the AI revolution, where your expertise fuels the development of the most advanced Large Language Models.

1\. Overview

Join a leading AI lab's cutting-edge GenAI team and help build foundational AI models from the ground up. We're seeking talented Machine Learning Engineers and Scientific Computing experts with hands-on expertise in machine learning, deep learning frameworks and scientific computing to bring hands-on technical and research excellence and elevate the quality of our AI training data.

This is a W-2 employment position with Cincinnatus LLC, with the opportunity to be placed at a leading AI Lab as part of their extended workforce.

2\. Key Responsibilities

  • Guide research and engineering teams to close knowledge gaps and improve AI model performance in machine learning and scientific computing, model training and evaluation, and numerical and scientific software topics.
  • Design challenging, domain-relevant tasks, and write accurate and well-structured solutions to machine learning and scientific computing problems.
  • Evaluate machine learning and scientific computing tasks and solutions and provide clear, written technical feedback.
  • Design and evaluate technical tasks covering model training, experiment design, data pipelines and scientific simulations, with runnable reference solutions.
  • Develop rubrics to assess the methodological soundness, correctness and reproducibility of ML and scientific work.
  • Collaborate with other subject matter experts to ensure consistency and accuracy in training data.

3\. Core Qualifications

  • 4+ years of dedicated professional or research experience in machine learning, data science or scientific computing at a recognized, top-tier organization or research university (an MS or PhD in a quantitative field counts toward this).
  • Production or research experience with PyTorch, JAX or TensorFlow, and strong Python (NumPy, pandas, scikit-learn).
  • Publications, open-source contributions or shipped ML systems are a strong plus.
  • Demonstrable career progression.
  • Ability to engage reliably for at least 20 hours/week during weekdays.
  • Strong written communication skills and the ability to explain complex technical decisions clearly.

About Cincinnatus LLC: Cincinnatus LLC is an enterprise staffing company that partners with leading technology companies to source and employ highly skilled professionals for contingent and contract-based opportunities. Cincinnatus serves as the employer of record for these engagements, providing W-2 employment, payroll, benefits, and compliance, while placing employees directly within client teams to work on high-impact initiatives.

Equal Employment Opportunity: Cincinnatus is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Applicant countries
US residents only

The listing requires applicants to reside in the United States. Check the original listing for any additional requirements.

Openings reported
15
Work arrangement
Work arrangement unspecified
Advertised job location
United States
Originally posted
2026-11-09
Last checked

How this pay compares

Business: typical hourly pay on each platform, November 2026.

This role $90–$140/hr USDTypical on Mercor $80/hr USDTypical across platforms $80/hr USD

  • MercorThis platform$80/hr USD59 rolesMiddle half of roles: $65–$103/hr USD
  • micro1$70/hr USD52 rolesMiddle half of roles: $49–$90/hr USD
  • Turing$100/hr USD19 rolesMiddle half of roles: $100–$100/hr USD
  • Alignerr$60/hr USD42 rolesMiddle half of roles: $36–$90/hr USD
  • Meridial$36/hr USD33 rolesMiddle half of roles: $36–$60/hr USD
  • SME Careers$65/hr USD29 rolesMiddle half of roles: $55–$85/hr USD
  • Handshake AI$80/hr USD61 rolesMiddle half of roles: $75–$85/hr USD
  • Alpheva$175/hr USD32 rolesMiddle half of roles: $135–$196/hr USD
  • Anyone AI$150/hr USD21 rolesMiddle half of roles: $115–$150/hr USD

Based on 350 hourly-paid roles listed in November 2026. Per-task and project rates are not included. Each platform sets its own pay.

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