Mechanical / Hardware Design Engineer

What you'll do

AfterQuery is assembling a research cohort of senior hardware experts across CAD, RTL and robotics. The ad is explicit that this is research and evaluation work, not production engineering: you define what "correct" and "excellent" look like on problems you already know deeply. Concretely you design realistic technical scenarios and problem sets within your track, write expert-level reference solutions and grading rubrics, and evaluate AI-generated outputs for correctness, depth and domain judgment.

Who fits

• Domain: hardware (CAD, RTL or robotics)
• 8 to 12 years of experience
• A bachelor's degree; a PE license or master's is a plus
• Currently or recently active in the field, hands-on rather than purely academic
• Strong written communication, since you will author technical explanations and structured feedback
• Comfortable with independent, asynchronous, remote work
• Preferred: publications, open-source or recognized work product, experience reviewing or grading others' technical work, and RTL/HDL, CAD or robotics skill as a track signal

The ad warns that candidates are background-checked and that those who meet fewer than 70% of the stated qualifications may be flagged for misrepresenting their experience, which could affect future project staffing. Apply only if you meet the bar.

What it pays

The board headlines $135/hr; the ad's "Why apply" text says $100 to $170/hr, based on experience. The listing does not publish its payment terms or weekly hours.

Worth knowing

Good:

• A high band for senior expertise, with remote and flexible hours
• Evaluation work that uses depth rather than throughput
• Fits around existing work

Less good:

• A strict experience and education bar, plus background checks
• Mismatch risk: falling short of the 70% threshold can count against you later
• Payment terms and hours are not stated

About this listing

Read from the AfterQuery Experts board on 18 October 2026 (posted 4 August 2026). The board files it under software engineering, though the work is hardware. AfterQuery's help centre describes an unpaid, one-attempt assessment and ID verification for its expert pools. See AfterQuery.