SWE Fellow - Human Frontier Collective (US)

Scale AI; United States; Remote; USD 83,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote (US)

1099 Independent Contractor

Six months with potential extension

Flexible 10–40 hours/week

Job summary

Scale AI in the United States is seeking a SWE Fellow for the Human Frontier Collective Fellowship. This fully remote, independent contractor role is expected for six months with potential extension.

As an HFC Fellow, you will apply your software engineering expertise to design, evaluate, and interpret advanced generative AI systems, collaborating with an interdisciplinary network of researchers. Candidates should have 5+ years of software engineering or related experience; visa sponsorship is

Qualifications

• 5+ years of software engineering or related technical experience.
• Experience applying AI research to real-world systems.
• Ability to design, evaluate, and interpret generative AI models.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate on high-impact projects with partnered AI labs and platforms.
• Design domain-specific problems and datasets to evaluate AI models.
• Provide expert insights to improve AI model accuracy, reasoning and performance.
• Engage with the interdisciplinary Human Frontier Collective community.

Skills

Software engineering

Generative AI

Team collaboration

Education

PhD or Postdoc in CS

Job description

SWE Fellow - Human Frontier Collective (US)

United States

PLEASE NOTE: This is a fully remote, 1099 independent contractor opportunity with an estimated duration of six months and the potential for extension. To be eligible, candidates must be authorized to work in the United States; visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

About the Program

The Human Frontier Collective (HFC) Fellowship brings together top researchers and domain experts to collaborate on high-impact work that are shaping the future of AI. As an HFC Fellow, you’ll apply your academic and professional expertise to help design, evaluate, and interpret advanced generative AI systems—while gaining exposure to cutting-edge research and working alongside an interdisciplinary network of leading thinkers.

What You'll Do

• Collaborative Work: Get invited to engage in high-impact projects with our partnered AI labs and platforms. Design complex, domain-specific problems and datasets to rigorously evaluate AI models, and provide expert insights that enhance their accuracy, reasoning, and overall performance.
• HFC Community: Beyond the work, you’ll become part of a supportive, interdisciplinary network of innovators and thought leaders committed to advancing frontier AI across domains.
• Professional and Academic Background: 5+ years of software engineering or related technical experience, or equivalent domain expertise through academic work (e.g. PhD, postdoctoral research, or faculty experience in Computer Science or related field).
• Professional Mindset: Detail-oriented, innovative thinker with a passion in applied AI research and a commitment to collaboration.

Why Join the HFC?

• Professional Development: High-impact experts expand their influence through review projects, advisory roles, and research—while deepening their AI expertise, strengthening analytical and problem-solving skills, and engaging with pioneering AI applications in science and technology.
• Join a Top-Tier Network: Collaborate with a global network of academics and experts to advance responsible AI through impactful, flexible research and training. 80% of our members come from leading institutions.
• Flexible Schedule: Set your own schedule, with flexible 10–40 hour weeks that fit around your life and other commitments.
• Competitive Pay: Project pay rates vary across platforms and are depending on a number of factors, including but not limited to; projects, scope, skillset, and location.

Application Process

• Interview: Candidates will get to discuss their research experience, professional background, and alignment with our mission to advance human-centered AI.
• Join the Collective: Successful candidates will receive an invitation to join the Human Frontier Collective Fellowship.

PLEASE NOTE: Our policy requires a 90-day waiting period before reconsidering candidates for the same role. This allows us to ensure a fair and thorough evaluation of all applicants.

About Us:

At Scale, our mission is to develop reliable AI systems for the world's most important decisions. Our products provide the high-quality data and full-stack technologies that power the world's leading models, and help enterprises and governments build, deploy, and oversee AI applications that deliver real impact. We work closely with industry leaders like Meta, Ernst & Young, Mayo Clinic, Time Inc., the Government of Qatar, and U.S. government agencies including the Army and Air Force. We are expanding our team to accelerate the development of AI applications.

We believe that everyone should be able to bring their whole selves to work, which is why we are proud to be an inclusive and equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability status, gender identity or Veteran status.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and mental disabilities. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation in the application or recruiting process due to a disability, please contact us at [e-mail]. Please see the United States Department of Labor's Know Your Rights poster for additional information.

We comply with the United States Department of Labor's Pay Transparency provision.

PLEASE NOTE: We collect, retain and use personal data for our professional business purposes, including notifying you of job opportunities that may be of interest and sharing with our affiliates. We limit the personal data we collect to that which we believe is appropriate and necessary to manage applicants’ needs, provide our services, and comply with applicable laws. Any information we collect in connection with your application will be treated in accordance with our internal policies and programs designed to protect personal data. Please see our privacy policy for additional information.

This is a 1099 independent contractor role.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Scale AI’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.