Engineering – Software Domain Expert

Weekday (YC W21)

. Vet the quality of engineering knowledge work tasks and model outputs .

Posted 9/18/2026full-timeCalifornia City • California • United StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 $65 - $105 per hourWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in engineering practices with a focus on building and shipping production software, while effectively translating complex engineering judgments into clear, teachable criteria. Strong written communication skills are essential for providing structured feedback and collaborating with diverse teams.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Bachelor's Degree In Computer Science4+ Years Of Professional Engineering ExperienceSpecialization In Distributed SystemsHands-On Use Of Large Language ModelsSenior-Level Engineering Role

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Production Software DevelopmentEngineering Task DefinitionModel Output EvaluationInstruction Specification WritingCode Review StandardsQuality EngineeringTest EngineeringMachine Learning SystemsBackend InfrastructureDeveloper Tooling

Soft Skills

Excellent Written CommunicationStructured Feedback Delivery

Industry Keywords

Engineering Knowledge WorkEdge Case HandlingEngineering-Specific SkillsCollaboration With ResearchersBay Area Relocation

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Distributed Systems

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Vet the quality of engineering knowledge work tasks and model outputs
Identify missing behaviors, weak reasoning, subtly incorrect code, unhandled edge cases, and answers that would not survive a real code review
Write instruction specifications and produce golden solutions to engineering problems
Define engineering tasks reflecting practical industry work
Design challenging engineering tasks and evaluation sets
Help build engineering-specific skills and tools with the research team
Collaborate with client researchers and adjacent-field specialists to maintain consistent standards
Translate tacit engineering judgment into explicit, teachable criteria

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor's degree or higher in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline
4+ years of substantive professional engineering practice building and shipping production software or engineered systems at a reputable organization
Specialization in at least one engineering area, such as distributed systems and backend infrastructure, security and cryptography, embedded and firmware, machine learning systems, developer tooling and platform engineering, or quality and test engineering
Senior-level progression, such as Senior, Staff, Principal, Architect, or Engineering Lead, with ownership of systems and design decisions
Hands-on working use of large language models in professional work
Able to commit reliably to 40 hours per week for an initial engagement of 6 months
Living in the Bay Area, California, and able to work on-site with the client's team multiple days each week when required
Candidates not currently based in the Bay Area must be willing to relocate there at their own cost
Excellent written communication and ability to give precise, well-structured written feedback

Benefits

Comp & perks

Relocation assistance is not provided.