# Open Source Maintainer / Core Contributor – Software Engineer

- Platform: Mercor
- Pay: $150/hour
- Location: Remote, United States
- Contract: full time
- Fields: Software Engineering & Coding
- Last verified open: 2026-11-03
- Listing on SOJI (apply here): https://hiring.sojistudio.com/jobs/open-source-maintainer-core-contributor-software-engineer

Mercor is hiring open-source maintainers to design and review code tasks for a leading AI lab. Remote, US-authorized W-2, full-time 40 hrs/week, $150/hr.

## About the Role
Mercor is staffing a full-time project for a leading AI lab's GenAI team. The lab needs open-source maintainers and core contributors who know a mature, widely used codebase well, to bring real engineering and code review judgment to the training of large language models. It is a W-2 position with Cincinnatus LLC, placed with the AI lab as part of its extended workforce.

## What You'll Do
- Help research and engineering teams close knowledge gaps in software engineering, code review and open-source maintenance
- Design realistic engineering tasks (features, refactors, bug fixes) based on the open-source project you know best, with accurate reference solutions
- Evaluate AI-written code, tests and grading rubrics against the repository's architecture, conventions and quality bar, giving clear written feedback
- Build, run and test the project locally, including with Docker
- Write precise rationales explaining what a strong solution looks like and where AI changes fall short
- Work with other subject matter experts for consistent, accurate training data

## Requirements
- Maintainer (listed in MAINTAINERS/CODEOWNERS or 10+ PR reviews in 12 months) or core contributor (3+ substantive merged PRs in 12 months) of a widely used open-source project
- Repository is 2+ years old, has real users, an active review culture and is mainly human-written
- Years of verifiable public contributions on your own GitHub account
- Senior-level code review judgment, including critique of AI-written code and tests
- Ability to build and run the project and its tests locally, including with Docker
- Authorized to work in the United States on a W-2 basis
- Able to pass background checks, sign confidentiality agreements and use a company-provided device
- Writes all rationales personally; strong written communication

## Compensation & Logistics
- $150/hr, full-time 40 hours per week on weekdays
- Exclusive engagement: no other full-time job and no other AI training or evaluation projects, including other Mercor projects
- Remote, United States only (US work authorization required)
- Employer of record: Cincinnatus LLC (W-2, payroll, benefits)

Source: SOJI (hiring.sojistudio.com), an independent job board. Pay is the range shown by the platform when the role was collected; confirm on the application page.