Mechanical Engineering Professor

$60–130/hrrate as listed

micro1 is hiring mechanical engineering professors and instructors to write graduate-level multiple-choice questions with worked rationales, and to review AI-generated technical content for accuracy. Work is remote, asynchronous, and paid per accepted task, with observed rates in the $60–130/hr range depending on specialization and output speed.

Summary, eligibility guidance and screening preparation are prepared by Sidequest from the platform's posting. Check the source listing before applying.

What the work involves

You author exam-quality single-answer multiple-choice items in your subfield — Solid & Structural Mechanics, Dynamics/Vibration/Control, or Thermal-Fluids — pitched at graduate or postgraduate difficulty. Each item needs a defensible correct answer, distractors that correspond to specific plausible errors (sign conventions, missed boundary conditions, wrong constitutive assumption, misapplied dimensionless group), and a rationale that explains why each option fails. A second stream of work is review: reading AI-generated mechanical engineering solutions and marking where the physics, the algebra, or the units break down, then writing a correction a colleague could follow.

Expect self-contained tasks rather than long projects. You pick up assignments from a queue, submit through the platform's workflow tools, and respond to reviewer feedback with revisions. Coordination with other SMEs happens in writing, not on calls.

What the screen looks for

Verifiable teaching and assessment history — courses taught, level, and whether you wrote or graded the exams yourself.
Depth under follow-up. The AI interviewer will push past your first answer on a technical claim; confident hand-waving reads badly, and so does refusing to commit to an answer.
Item-writing judgment — can you distinguish a hard problem from a merely tedious one, and build distractors that diagnose misconceptions rather than just look wrong.
Precision in writing. Short, unambiguous prose with correct notation and units matters more than polish.
Realistic availability, since roles typically fill within 48 hours and first tasks are expected 24–48 hours after onboarding.

Logistics and pay

Fully remote and asynchronous; you choose your hours. Compensation is output-based — paid per task that meets spec — so the effective hourly rate depends on how quickly you produce accepted work. The $60–130/hr band reflects observed rates for this category and is not a guarantee. A weekly minimum submission requirement applies, so treat this as a recurring commitment rather than occasional side work. No prior AI or machine learning experience is required or expected.

What they look for

mechanical engineering
solid and structural mechanics
dynamics and vibration and control
thermal-fluids
technical writing
assessment design
educational content creation
written communication
verbal communication
attention to detail
technical accuracy
remote collaboration
self-motivation
organization
digital workflow tools

Before you apply

Would you pass this screen?

Drawn from what this listing actually requires. Answered in your browser — nothing is sent to us, and we do not store your answers.

Do you hold a PhD or MS in Mechanical Engineering?
Advanced degree in Mechanical Engineering · required
Have you taught, served as an adjunct or lecturer, or worked as a teaching assistant in Mechanical Engineering at university level?
University-level teaching experience · required
Do you have teaching or professional experience in at least one of these areas: Solid & Structural Mechanics, Dynamics & Vibration & Control, or Thermal-Fluids?
Specialization in required subdomain · required
Have you authored, graded, or reviewed graduate-level exams, problem sets, or formal coursework assessments in Mechanical Engineering?
Graduate-level assessment experience · preferred
Can you begin work and submit your first tasks within 24–48 hours of completing onboarding?
Immediate availability · required

0 of 5 answered

Included with this listing

Interview prep — 10 questions

Matched to what this platform's screening actually measures. Answer each out loud in 60–90 seconds: claim → concrete example → implication.

What it tests: Can they design assessment that actually tests deep conceptual understanding, not just formula-plugging? Do they understand what graduate-level rigor looks like in their specialization?
A strong answer: The candidate names a specific course and question type, explains the core concept being tested, describes how they pitched difficulty (e.g., requiring multi-step reasoning or non-standard parameter variation), and how they validated it matched grad-level expectations through student performance or peer review.
Where people lose it: Describing generic problems or questions where difficulty comes only from arithmetic complexity rather than conceptual depth; failing to name the subdomain or explain why the question distinguishes strong from weak understanding at graduate level.