Senior Software Engineer in Test (Freelance)

Mindrift; United States; On-site; USD 90,921 - 129,494; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work hours

Competitive pay rates

Project-based incentives

Job summary

A tech consulting firm is seeking experienced freelance contributors to develop coding test cases for AI systems, allowing for flexible part-time work. Ideal candidates should have a degree in computer science or related fields, over 5 years of experience in software development mainly in Python, and a strong background in full-stack development. Compensation may reach up to $80/hour based on project-specific criteria, fostering a stimulating work environment with the freedom to manage task schedules flexibly.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in software development, primarily using Python.
• Experience writing functional and integration tests.
• Background in both front-end and back-end development.

Responsibilities

• Create coding test cases to evaluate AI systems.
• Write functional tests that validate AI performance.
• Iterate tasks based on feedback from QA reviewers.

Skills

Python

Functional testing

Full-Stack development

Docker

CI/CD

English proficiency - B2

Education

Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or related fields

Job description

Please submit your CV in English and indicate your level of English proficiency.

Mindrift connects specialists with project‑based AI opportunities for leading tech companies, focused on testing, evaluating, and improving AI systems. Participation is project‑based as an independent freelance contributor and does not create an employment relationship with Toloka or our clients.

What This Opportunity Involves

You’ll create challenging coding test cases that push AI coding systems to their limits:

• Review and refine realistic coding tasks based on provided production codebases with realistic scope, requirements and information sources
• Write comprehensive functional tests that validate actual end‑to‑end behavior and edge‑cases, not just superficial checks
• Craft "fair but hard" challenges where the AI has all the context it needs, but has to work for it (information scattered across files and external sources, complex reasoning required)
• Analyze AI failures to understand what the model struggles with vs. what it masters
• Iterate based on feedback from expert QA reviewers who score your work on 7 quality criteria

What We Look For

This opportunity is a good fit for experienced developers, software engineers, and/or test automation specialists open to part‑time, non‑permanent projects. Ideally, contributors will have:

• Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or related fields
• 5+ years in software development, primarily Python (pytest, async/await, subprocess, file operations)
• Background in Full‑Stack development, with an equal focus on building React‑based interfaces and robust Back‑end systems
• Experience writing tests (functional, integration - not just running them)
• Docker containers (running evaluations locally in containers)
• CI/CD understanding (GitHub Actions as a user: triggers, labels, reading results)
• English proficiency - B2

How It Works

Apply → Pass qualification(s) → Select a project → Complete tasks on your own schedule within project timelines → Get paid

Project time expectations

Tasks for this project are estimated to take 20 hours to complete, depending on complexity. This is an estimate and not a schedule requirement; you choose when and how to work. Tasks must be submitted by the deadline and meet the listed acceptance criteria to be accepted.

Payment

• Paid freelance contributions, with rates that may be equivalent to up to $80/hour* (project‑ and task‑based)
• Fixed project rate or individual rates, depending on the project
• Some projects include incentive payments
• Note: Rates vary based on expertise, skills assessment, location, project needs, and other factors. Higher rates may be offered to highly specialized experts. Lower rates may apply during onboarding or non‑core project phases. Payment details are shared per project