Backend Security Engineer

Remote | Contractor
Approximately 15 hours/week | Flexible schedule

Annualized Equivalent: $62,400–$208,000/year based on 40 hours/week
Hourly Rate: $30–$100/hour equivalent

Compensation is output-based and paid per task that meets project specifications. The annualized figure is an hourly-equivalent reference only; actual earnings depend on task complexity, completion time, experience, workflow, and applicable minimum submission requirements.

About the Role

Apply your backend engineering and security expertise to challenging software development tasks designed to test real-world engineering judgment. This opportunity is suited to engineers who can build scalable backend systems, debug complex issues, implement features, optimize performance, and assess software from a security perspective.

You’ll create realistic coding challenges for AI systems, develop solutions and deterministic verifiers, and evaluate whether implementations correctly handle valid and invalid scenarios. Prior AI experience is not required.

Key Responsibilities

Backend Engineering & Development

• Create realistic and challenging backend coding tasks involving feature implementation and bug fixing.

• Develop and modify backend services and APIs.

• Implement complex features in large-scale applications.

• Work with established codebases and engineering architectures.

Security Engineering

• Apply secure coding principles when developing and reviewing backend systems.

• Perform security-focused code reviews and identify potential vulnerabilities.

• Apply knowledge of penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, and application security where relevant.

• Consider security risks and common vulnerability patterns when evaluating implementations.

Debugging & Performance

• Identify and resolve software bugs and system bottlenecks.

• Diagnose backend performance issues.

• Optimize code for performance, reliability, and maintainability.

• Refactor existing codebases where improvements are required.

Testing & Verification

• Develop deterministic verifiers that accept reasonable valid solutions and reject invalid implementations.

• Apply automated testing practices to validate software behavior.

• Evaluate solutions against expected functionality, edge cases, and technical requirements.

• Ensure coding tasks and verification logic are precise and reliable.

Technical Evaluation & Collaboration

• Review code for correctness, quality, maintainability, and security.

• Apply strong code-review judgment to different implementation approaches.

• Use algorithms, data structures, and foundational computer science principles to assess solutions.

• Communicate technical reasoning clearly and concisely.

Required Skills & Experience

• Strong backend software engineering experience building scalable services and APIs.

• Professional experience with one or more of:

  • Python

  • Java

  • Rust

  • TypeScript

  • C++

  • Go

  • Node.js

• Strong debugging and problem-solving capabilities.

• Experience implementing software features and resolving complex bugs.

• Experience with performance optimization and automated testing.

• Strong code review and software quality judgment.

• Solid understanding of algorithms, data structures, and foundational computer science concepts.

• Experience with codebase refactoring and maintaining production-quality software.

• Strong analytical and technical communication skills.

• Ability to work independently on challenging technical tasks.

• Cybersecurity experience in areas such as application security, penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, secure coding, OWASP/CWE, or security-focused code review is highly valuable.

Compensation

Annualized Equivalent: $62,400–$208,000/year based on 40 hours/week
Hourly Rate: $30–$100/hour equivalent

Compensation is output-based and paid per completed task that meets project specifications. Actual earnings may vary based on task complexity, experience, completion time, and workflow. Minimum weekly submission requirements apply.

Role Details

• Role Type: Contractor

• Work Arrangement: Fully Remote

• Typical Commitment: Approximately 15 hours/week

• Schedule: Flexible; candidates choose their working hours and days, including weekends if desired

• Focus: Backend engineering, cybersecurity, debugging, feature development, performance optimization, code review, and deterministic software verification

• AI Experience: Not required

• Minimum Requirements: Minimum task submissions per week

• Start Timeline: First tasks expected within 24–48 hours after completing onboarding for selected candidates

Selection Process

1. Application and screening questions

2. Approximately 30-minute AI interview

3. Technical assessment, if required

4. Hiring manager review