AlignerrCoding & software eval
CFD Engineer: AI Task Designer (OpenFOAM)
up to $110/hr
About this role, in Alignerr's words
What if your expertise in computational fluid dynamics could teach AI to reason about aerodynamics, boundary conditions, and flow physics — without you ever having to write a single line of machine-learning code?
What you'll do
- Design compact, self-contained CFD and aerodynamics tasks that test an AI model's engineering reasoning
- Write clear, unambiguous problem statements covering topics such as boundary-condition selection, mesh quality assessment, flow-regime identification, and simulation setup
- Develop deterministic scoring checkers that can automatically evaluate a model's final answer
Show all 7 itemsHide the other 4 in What you'll do
- Provide verified reference solutions that confirm each task is solvable and correctly scored
- Review and iterate on tasks to ensure physical accuracy, clarity, and appropriate difficulty
- Draw on your experience with OpenFOAM to ground tasks in real-world practice
- Work independently and asynchronously — fully on your own schedule
Candidate background
Who You Are
- Hands-on experience with OpenFOAM
- Solid foundation in fluid mechanics, aerodynamics, and heat transfer fundamentals
- Comfortable with mesh generation, turbulence modeling, boundary-condition specification, and post-processing
- Able to formulate engineering problems that are precise, self-contained, and objectively verifiable
- Strong written communication skills — you can explain complex physics clearly and concisely
- Background in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related discipline (BS or higher preferred)
- Self-motivated and reliable when working independently without supervision
Nice to Have
Show all 6 itemsHide these 6 items in Nice to Have
- Experience across multiple CFD solvers or multiphysics platforms
- Familiarity with scripting or automation (Python, Bash, MATLAB) for setting up or post-processing simulations
- Exposure to design optimization, flow-control strategies, or adjoint methods
- Graduate-level coursework or research in aerodynamics, propulsion, or computational methods
- Previous experience writing technical assessments, exam problems, or engineering challenges
- Interest in how large language models reason about STEM problems
Quoted from selected sections of Alignerr's posting. The full posting may state other conditions. Read the full posting
A closer look
More context, when you need it.
Full job descriptionThe original posting, in Alignerr's words
Posted by Alignerr, reproduced here so you can judge the role before clicking. Original posting ↗
CFD Engineer — AI Task Designer
About the Role
What if your expertise in computational fluid dynamics could teach AI to reason about aerodynamics, boundary conditions, and flow physics — without you ever having to write a single line of machine-learning code?
We're looking for CFD engineers and aerodynamicists to design small, well-defined engineering challenges that train and evaluate AI models on real fluid-dynamics reasoning. Each task you create has three parts: a clear problem statement, a deterministic checker that scores the model's answer, and a trusted reference solution that proves the task is solvable. Think of it as writing bite-sized CFD exam problems — grounded in physics, unambiguous, and automatically gradable.
No reinforcement-learning or AI research background is required. What matters is your hands-on simulation experience and your ability to translate domain knowledge into precise, solvable tasks.
- Organization: Alignerr - Type: Hourly Contract - Location: Remote - Commitment: 10–40 hours/week
What You'll Do
* Design compact, self-contained CFD and aerodynamics tasks that test an AI model's engineering reasoning * Write clear, unambiguous problem statements covering topics such as boundary-condition selection, mesh quality assessment, flow-regime identification, and simulation setup * Develop deterministic scoring checkers that can automatically evaluate a model's final answer * Provide verified reference solutions that confirm each task is solvable and correctly scored * Review and iterate on tasks to ensure physical accuracy, clarity, and appropriate difficulty * Draw on your experience with OpenFOAM to ground tasks in real-world practice * Work independently and asynchronously — fully on your own schedule
Who You Are
* Hands-on experience with OpenFOAM * Solid foundation in fluid mechanics, aerodynamics, and heat transfer fundamentals * Comfortable with mesh generation, turbulence modeling, boundary-condition specification, and post-processing * Able to formulate engineering problems that are precise, self-contained, and objectively verifiable * Strong written communication skills — you can explain complex physics clearly and concisely * Background in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related discipline (BS or higher preferred) * Self-motivated and reliable when working independently without supervision
Nice to Have
* Experience across multiple CFD solvers or multiphysics platforms * Familiarity with scripting or automation (Python, Bash, MATLAB) for setting up or post-processing simulations * Exposure to design optimization, flow-control strategies, or adjoint methods * Graduate-level coursework or research in aerodynamics, propulsion, or computational methods * Previous experience writing technical assessments, exam problems, or engineering challenges * Interest in how large language models reason about STEM problems
Why Join Us
* Apply your CFD expertise to cutting-edge AI research alongside leading labs — from a completely new angle * Fully remote and flexible — work when and where it suits you * Freelance autonomy with the structure of meaningful, task-based work * No need to retrain as a data scientist — your engineering judgment is exactly what's needed * Contribute directly to teaching AI models real-world physical reasoning * Potential for ongoing work and contract extension as new projects launch
Working with AlignerrPay, getting started and work, from Alignerr's own pages
What the platform publishes in general. These are not extra terms confirmed for this particular role.
- Getting paid
- Billed weekly, Monday to Sunday, with approved work paid by the following Friday, according to Labelbox's help center. Payment goes through Stripe Connect or PayPal depending on your location, with one provider per country. intercom.help/labelbox/en/articles/13600616-alignerr-paym..., alignerr.com/process
- Before your first paid task
- Sign up, apply, verify your identity, set up billing and onboard. Some jobs add a Zara AI interview or domain assessments. alignerr.com/process
- How much work
- Time to your first project depends on demand and your skills, and there is no minimum number of hours. alignerr.com/faqs
- Contract
- Independent contractor, under terms with ALIGNERR LLC. alignerr.com/faqs, alignerr.com/privacy
Read on the pages linked above on 24 Sep 2026. Platforms change these terms, so check the linked page before you rely on one.
How does the pay compare?Across Coding & software eval roles, not this role alone
From our own daily reads of every open listing on the platforms we follow, not from Alignerr's posting. How we count.
Pay across the field: Coding & software eval
Across 393 roles in this field with a stated hourly rate in US dollars, on 14 platforms, the middle half pays $65 to $120 an hour at the top of the range, and the median is $95. This role's top rate, $110, is in the middle half. Of the 141 distinct rates we count, 90 are lower and 46 are higher.
| Platform | Roles | Top of range, per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Alignerr (this platform) | 136 | $50 to $400 · median $100 |
| micro1 | 46 | $35 to $350 · median $110 |
| Handshake AI | 43 | $47 to $125 · median $80 |
| Meridial (Invisible) | 34 | $22 to $150 · median $60 |
| Mercor | 33 | $60 to $200 · median $105 |
Sources and listing historyWhere this information comes from
This listing's history
- First seen here on 27 Aug 2026, and still on Alignerr's list when we last read it on 13 Oct 2026.
- The listed pay has not changed since then.
- Posted by Alignerr
- First seen by AIPayList
- Last seen live
- Listing ID
- 39e18a3e-f9f2-45ce-b86d-b29f93c47a8b
Pay as the source states it: “$80-110/hr”.
Platforms sometimes change a rate after posting. Every listing here is re-read at least once a day and corrected when its source moves, so a difference you see on the platform is usually a change made since the last read. How freshness works.
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