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Contract Programmer Jobs in McHenry, IL (NOW HIRING)

RJO Consulting

CMM Programmer

Wheeling, IL · On-site

Our client is a wellestablished and growing contract manufacturer serving the Aerospace and Medical Device industries. They are hiring a CMM Programmer responsible for developing and writing CMM ...

AbbVie

Manager, Payer Contract Analytics

Mettawa, IL · On-site

$79K - $95K/yr

As an individual contributor of the Payer Contract Analytics team, you will greatly influence ... Fluency in multiple programming languages and statistical analysis tools including but not limited ...

AbbVie

Manager, Payer Contract Analytics

Mettawa, IL · On-site

$79K - $95K/yr

As an individual contributor of the Payer Contract Analytics team, you will greatly influence ... Fluency in multiple programming languages and statistical analysis tools including but not limited ...

Simplex

Contract IT Support Engineer

Hoffman Estates, IL · On-site

$40 - $45/hr

This is a contract with the potential of a permanent position based in Hoffman Estates, IL. We are ... What is required is a polished, service-minded IT Support Engineer to support our Hoffman Estates ...

Simplex

Contract IT Support Engineer

Hoffman Estates, IL · On-site

$40 - $45/hr

This is a contract with the potential of a permanent position based in Hoffman Estates, IL. We are ... What is required is a polished, service-minded IT Support Engineer to support our Hoffman Estates ...

Sterling Engineering

Be Seen First

Automation Project Engineer

Buffalo Grove, IL · On-site

$60 - $70/hr

Automation Project Engineer Contract/Contract to hire Pay: 60-70/h We are seeking a hands-on Assembly Project Leader / Automation Project Engineer to lead the implementation of a new assembly line ...

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All JobsContract Programmer JobsContract Programmer Jobs in McHenry, IL

Contract Programmer information

What is a contract programmer?

A contract programmer is a software developer who is hired on a temporary basis to work on specific projects or tasks for a company. Unlike full-time employees, contract programmers typically work for a set period or until the completion of a particular project. They may work independently or through an agency, and their expertise is often sought for specialized or short-term needs. Contract programmers can work on-site or remotely, and they usually have flexible arrangements regarding hours and workflow.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a contract programmer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Contract Programmer, you need strong programming skills in relevant languages, a solid understanding of software development methodologies, and typically a degree in computer science or related field. Familiarity with version control systems like Git, integrated development environments (IDEs), and knowledge of frameworks or cloud platforms are commonly required. Excellent problem-solving abilities, self-motivation, and clear communication with clients set top contract programmers apart. These skills ensure the delivery of high-quality, maintainable code that meets client needs and project deadlines in a dynamic work environment.

How do contract programmers typically manage communication and collaboration with client teams while working remotely?

Contract programmers often work off-site, which makes effective communication and collaboration essential for project success. Most clients use project management tools like Jira, Trello, or Asana, and require regular check-ins via video calls, chat platforms, or emails. It’s important for contract programmers to proactively share progress, clarify requirements, and ask questions as needed to stay aligned with the client’s expectations. Building strong communication habits helps ensure timely delivery and fosters a positive working relationship with diverse team members, even when working remotely.

What is the difference between Contract Programmer vs Software Developer?

AspectContract ProgrammerSoftware Developer
CredentialsTypically requires a degree in computer science or related field, with experience in specific programming languagesUsually holds a degree in computer science or software engineering, with similar certifications
Work EnvironmentWorks on short-term projects, often remotely, with flexible schedulesMay work full-time in an office or remotely, involved in ongoing development
Employer & Industry UsageHired by companies for specific projects or freelance work across various industriesEmployed by companies or as freelancers, involved in software creation and maintenance

In summary, Contract Programmers focus on short-term, project-based work, often freelance or temporary, while Software Developers typically work on ongoing development within a company or as full-time employees. Both roles require similar skills and credentials but differ mainly in work scope and employment type.

What are the most commonly searched types of Programmer jobs in McHenry, IL?

The most popular types of Programmer jobs in McHenry, IL are:

What cities near McHenry, IL are hiring for Contract Programmer jobs?

Cities near McHenry, IL with the most Contract Programmer job openings:

Contract Programmer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Contract Programmer job openings in McHenry, IL as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 79% Full Time, 12% Part Time, 1% Temporary, 7% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 91% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution.

AI Red Team Engineer, Frontier Model Evaluation (Contract)

Cobalt

Mundelein, IL • On-site

Other

Posted 7 days ago

Job description

About Cobalt:

Cobalt is seeking security engineers to adversarially test frontier models and AI agents, and to produce the reasoning and evaluation data used to measure and improve how those systems hold up under pressure.

This opportunity is suited to people with a security background who have turned their attention to AI systems, whether professionally, through structured red teaming and model bounty programs, or through sustained independent research. Traditional offensive security experience without prior AI work is welcome, provided you can code and can learn a new target quickly.

You do not need a formal AI research background. What matters is that you can reliably find failure modes others miss, that you can tell a lucky one-off from a reproducible weakness, and that you can build the harness needed to prove it.

All work is performed against sandboxed environments, purpose-built targets, and model endpoints supplied by us or by the lab. We do not accept work performed against systems you are not authorized to test, and we do not accept material covered by a client agreement or obtained without authorization.


What you'll do:

Depending on the project, you may:

  • Probe models and agents for failure modes, including prompt injection, unsafe tool and browser use, data exfiltration paths, and breakdowns in refusal or policy adherence, and document each case so another engineer can reproduce it
  • Build test harnesses and automation that run attempts at scale against model APIs and agent frameworks, rather than testing by hand
  • Produce written attack traces, capturing how you form and test hypotheses, what you rule out and why, and how you arrive at a working approach, rather than only the successful prompt
  • Author adversarial evaluation scenarios and benchmark items with verifiable success criteria, including multi-turn and agentic tasks
  • Design rubrics and partial-credit criteria for scoring model behavior, and classify observed failures into a consistent taxonomy

Projects follow their own guidelines, scope rules, and quality standards, and you will work with feedback from reviewers and lab research teams.


Required qualifications:

  • Demonstrable security experience, and demonstrable adversarial work against language models or AI agents through professional red teaming, structured bounty programs, published research, or a substantive independent record
  • Strong coding ability, typically Python, sufficient to build your own harnesses, automate at scale, and work with model APIs and agent frameworks
  • Depth in at least one relevant area, for example prompt injection and jailbreak techniques, agent and tool-use security, multimodal attacks, or cyber misuse evaluation
  • Ability to distinguish reproducible weaknesses from one-off outputs, and to explain each step of your reasoning clearly in writing
  • Willingness to work strictly within defined scope, to follow the project's disclosure process, and to sign a confidentiality agreement covering findings and project materials


Why join Cobalt AI:

  • Advance frontier AI where it counts. Apply your security expertise to data that frontier labs cannot obtain any other way, where your judgment directly shapes how the next generation of models reasons about security.
  • Grow professionally. Expand your influence through evaluation projects, advisory roles, and research collaborations, while developing a working understanding of how frontier models are trained and assessed.
  • Work with a top-tier network. Collaborate with security engineers and researchers from leading organizations on high-impact, flexible work.
  • Set your own schedule. Flexible 10 to 40 hour weeks that fit around your existing engagements and your life.
  • Competitive pay. Rates vary by project and are determined by a number of factors, including scope, skillset, and experience.

Apply