Is this job worth applying to?

Pay

Below typicalTops out at $75/hr. The typical top rate across 237 priced coding listings is $90/hr.

Getting in

Hard to get in~1–2 hours of assessments. Valid government photo ID.

Steady work

Work is patchyFeast-or-famine project volume.

Payout record

Some delaysSchedule: weekly, by Friday for the prior Monday–Sunday. Paid via Stripe or PayPal (depends on country).

Freshness

RecentPosted 2w ago. Still listed on Alignerr on Nov 6, 2026.

Where you live

Not statedThe listing names no country.

The job description

About the Role

What if your Python expertise could directly shape the infrastructure powering next-generation AI models? We're looking for a Senior Backend Engineer to design and build the data pipelines, annotation systems, and evaluation tooling that leading AI labs depend on to train and improve their most important models.

This is a fully remote contract role with flexible hours — real, high-impact engineering work on production systems at the frontier of AI development.

What You'll Do

Design, build, and optimize high-performance Python systems supporting AI data pipelines and evaluation workflows
Develop backend services and full-stack tooling for large-scale data annotation, validation, and quality control
Architect robust APIs (REST/GraphQL), design database schemas, and implement authentication and authorization flows
Improve reliability, performance, and safety across existing Python codebases
Collaborate with data, research, and engineering teams to support model training and evaluation workflows
Identify bottlenecks and edge cases in data and system behavior, and implement scalable solutions
Lead synchronous code reviews and contribute to system design decisions

Who You Are

Native or fluent English speaker with strong written and verbal communication skills
Experienced full-stack developer with a strong systems programming background
5+ years of professional experience writing production Python backend services
Deep familiarity with modern web frameworks and strict type enforcement patterns
Comfortable leading code reviews and driving system design discussions
Able to commit 20–40 hours per week with reliable availability

Nice to Have

Prior experience with data annotation, data quality, or evaluation systems
Familiarity with AI/ML workflows, model training, or benchmarking pipelines
Experience with distributed systems or developer tooling
Background working directly with or alongside AI research teams

Why Join Us

Work on real production systems used by leading AI labs — not toy projects
Fully remote and flexible — structure your hours around your life
Freelance autonomy with the depth and challenge of high-stakes engineering work
Make a tangible impact on AI systems that are shaping the future of technology
Potential for ongoing work and contract extension as new projects launch

How do you apply to Alignerr?

Apply on Alignerr

The Apply button opens this post on Alignerr's own site. You apply with them, not with Rubric. Budget about 1–2 hours of assessments.

Get through screening

What Alignerr asks for after you apply:

Take the TestGorilla skills assessment (usually one attempt per role)
Verify your identity with Persona
Join the Alignerr Slack community
Set up payouts once you are assigned to a project

Start work and get paid

Pay schedule: weekly, by Friday for the prior Monday–Sunday. Paid via Stripe or PayPal (depends on country). You're paid for the work they hand out, not a fixed salary.

Alignerr also needs

Valid government photo ID
Degree or professional experience for expert roles
Webcam for proctored assessments on some roles

Red flags

Red flagLong gaps with no project after passing
Red flagWorker reports of delayed or withheld payments on Glassdoor

What is Alignerr like to work for?

Labelbox's contractor network, which hires generalists and domain experts to label data and write and grade AI training tasks.

Advertised pay	$15–150/hr
Getting in	Hard to get in
Application takes	~1–2 hours of assessments
How you get paid	Weekly, by Friday for the prior Monday–Sunday, via Stripe or PayPal (depends on country)
Payout record	Some delays
Countries	Accepts most countries but blocks signups from about two dozen; posts India-specific roles such as Hindi, Telugu and Indian-English language and cultural review work.

Generalist and bilingual work is around $15–20/hr, coding QA $30–40/hr, and senior software, advanced math, medical and law roles $70–150/hr; some projects pay per approved task.