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Freelance Remote Research Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Dropzone AI

AI Research Engineer

About the role We are seeking a Senior to Principal-level AI Research Engineer to lead the design ... Travel We are a 100% remote company where you will work from your home with company-provided ...

THOMSON REUTERS

Lead Research Engineer

Eagan, MN · On-site +1

$104K - $137K/yr

... remote teams. * Be an Agile Person:With a strong sense of urgency and a desire to work in a fast ... in research and engineering fields * Previous exposure to Natural Language Processing (NLP ...

THOMSON REUTERS

Lead Research Engineer

Ann Arbor, MI · On-site +1

$100K - $132K/yr

... remote teams. * Be an Agile Person:With a strong sense of urgency and a desire to work in a fast ... in research and engineering fields * Previous exposure to Natural Language Processing (NLP ...

THOMSON REUTERS

Lead Research Engineer

New York, NY · On-site +1

$112K - $147K/yr

... remote teams. * Be an Agile Person:With a strong sense of urgency and a desire to work in a fast ... in research and engineering fields * Previous exposure to Natural Language Processing (NLP ...

THOMSON REUTERS

Lead Research Engineer

Frisco, TX · On-site +1

$95K - $126K/yr

... remote teams. * Be an Agile Person:With a strong sense of urgency and a desire to work in a fast ... in research and engineering fields * Previous exposure to Natural Language Processing (NLP ...

Valnet Freelance

MovieWeb: Movies & TV Reporter

Atlanta, GA · Remote

$25 - $34/hr

This is a paid freelance remote position. The editorial team at MovieWeb.com is looking for a ... Should possess a general understanding of the culture and strong research skill ​Responsibilities:

Slipstream Group, Inc.

Senior Research Engineer

Madison, WI · On-site +1

$90K - $115K/yr

We are seeking a Senior Research Engineer to join our Research & Innovation team. This role is ... While we're mostly remote, Slipstream can only hire in select states (outlined in the application)

SLIPSTREAM GROUP INC

Senior Research Engineer

Madison, WI · On-site +1

$105K - $144K/yr

We are seeking a Senior Research Engineer to join our Research & Innovation team. This role is ... While we're mostly remote, Slipstream can only hire in select states (outlined in the application)

Intellect

Clinical Provider (Krakow, Poland)

This is a freelance remote role with the flexibility to decide your business hours. Local candidates are preferred but others can still be considered. This role is a great opportunity to supplement ...

The Pennsylvania State University

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location.For additional ... POSITION SPECIFICS We are seeking an experienced Research and Development Engineer to manage ...

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Freelance Remote Research Engineer information

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How much do freelance remote research engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 10, 2026, the average hourly pay for freelance remote research engineer in the United States is $47.71, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $24.28 and $61.78 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a freelance remote research engineer?

A Freelance Remote Research Engineer is a professional who conducts research and develops new technologies or solutions in fields like software, hardware, or data science, while working independently and remotely. They are typically hired on a contract or project basis by companies or academic institutions needing specialized expertise. Their work may include designing experiments, analyzing data, developing prototypes, and publishing findings. Working remotely allows them to collaborate with teams worldwide and manage their own schedules.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a freelance remote research engineer?

To thrive as a Freelance Remote Research Engineer, you need advanced analytical abilities, a strong background in mathematics or computer science, and relevant research experience, typically supported by a graduate degree. Familiarity with programming languages (such as Python or MATLAB), data analysis tools, and version control systems like Git is essential. Excellent self-management, problem-solving, and communication skills distinguish top professionals in this role. These abilities ensure you can independently drive projects, collaborate virtually, and deliver innovative solutions to complex research challenges.

How do freelance remote research engineers typically manage project communication and collaboration with distributed teams?

Freelance Remote Research Engineers often work with geographically dispersed teams, making clear communication and collaboration essential. They commonly use project management tools, version control systems, and regular video meetings to stay aligned with team objectives and timelines. Establishing clear expectations, frequent updates, and proactive problem-solving are crucial for overcoming the challenges of remote work. Additionally, they may need to adapt to different collaboration styles depending on the client or project's structure.

What is the difference between Freelance Remote Research Engineer vs Freelance Remote Data Scientist?

AspectFreelance Remote Research EngineerFreelance Remote Data Scientist
CredentialsEngineering degrees, technical certificationsStatistics, data analysis, programming skills
Work EnvironmentRemote, project-based, technical researchRemote, data analysis, modeling tasks
Industry UsageEngineering firms, R&D departmentsTech companies, analytics firms
Search & ComparisonOften compared for technical research rolesRelated but focuses on data analysis

Freelance Remote Research Engineers focus on technical research and engineering projects, often requiring engineering credentials. In contrast, Freelance Remote Data Scientists specialize in data analysis and modeling, typically with statistics and programming skills. Both roles are remote and project-based but serve different industry needs.

What cities are hiring for Freelance Remote Research Engineer jobs?

Cities with the most Freelance Remote Research Engineer job openings:

What are the most commonly searched types of Remote Research Engineer jobs?

The most popular types of Remote Research Engineer jobs are:

What states have the most Freelance Remote Research Engineer jobs?

States with the most job openings for Freelance Remote Research Engineer jobs include:

What are popular job titles related to Freelance Remote Research Engineer jobs?

For Freelance Remote Research Engineer jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Freelance Remote Research Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Freelance Remote Research Engineer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 88% Full Time, 10% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 78% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 18% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $99,230 per year, or $47.7 per hour.

AI Research Engineer

Remote

Dropzone AI
Network Security • 1 - 10 employees
Learn more about Dropzone AIexternal

Full-time

Medical, Retirement, PTO

Posted 10 days ago

Job description

About Dropzone AI
Dropzone's mission is to scale cybersecurity beyond human limits, and augment every single human security engineer/analyst with an army of AI security specialists. Humans alone cannot sufficiently protect our digital future, and AI augmentation is the only way for defenders to reclaim the high ground. We are an award winning company disrupting the $200B+ cybersecurity market.
Powered by Gen AI advancements, our technology offloads repetitive day-to-day work and frees human analysts to focus on real threats and higher-value projects. We are venture-backed, and our team has a rare blend of deep experience across cybersecurity, AI/ML, and SaaS product development. Join us if you want to be on the ground floor of using Gen AI to transform cyber defense. Learn more at www.dropzone.ai.
About the role
We are seeking a Senior to Principal-level AI Research Engineer to lead the design and development of next-generation agentic AI systems. This role sits at the intersection of research and production, with a strong emphasis on:
  • Agent architecture design
  • Harness and memory engineering
  • Robust evaluation and benchmarking of model and agent performance

You will work closely with product and engineering teams to translate cutting-edge research into scalable, real-world systems.
In this role, you will directly shape the core intelligence layer of Dropzone AI. Your work will define how our agents reason, remember, and improve over time, influencing both our product capabilities and the broader direction of applied AI systems.
What we're looking for
  • Someone who thinks in context/harness engineering, not just models
  • A learner who can follow latest research and test them in real-world deployment
  • Deep curiosity about how to convert non deterministic outputs from LLMs to consistent reliable outcomes and replicate expert human intuitions
  • Strong ownership mindset and ability to drive ambiguous problems to clarity

What you'll do
Agentic Architecture
  • Design and implement advanced multi-step reasoning agents (tool use, planning, reflection, self-improvement loops)
  • Develop frameworks for multi-agent coordination and task decomposition
  • Improve reliability, latency, and cost efficiency of agent execution
Memory Systems
  • Architect short-term and long-term memory subsystems (episodic, semantic, retrieval-based, hybrid)
  • Build mechanisms for context compression, retrieval, and grounding
  • Explore novel approaches to continual learning and state persistence
Evaluation & Reliability
  • Define and implement evaluation frameworks for agent performance (task success, reasoning quality, robustness)
  • Build automated eval pipelines (synthetic data, adversarial testing, regression testing)
  • Establish metrics and benchmarks for agent reliability in production
Research → Production
  • Translate latest community research ideas into production-grade systems
  • Run experiments, analyze results, and iterate quickly
  • Contribute to internal knowledge sharing and technical direction

Requirements
  • 5+ years in software engineering, with at least 1+ year applying GenAI in production
  • Proven experience building or researching:
    • Agent frameworks / tool-using LLMs
    • Memory / retrieval systems (RAG, vector DBs, hybrid retrieval)
  • Expert Python developer
  • Familiar with openclaw and Claude Code harness architecture
  • Early-stage startup mindset. You thrive on ambiguity and move with lightspeed execution
Preferred
  • Experience with agent orchestration frameworks (LangGraph, AutoGen, custom systems)
  • Familiarity with AI safety guardrails, hallucination mitigation, and structured output enforcement
  • Experience designing LLM evals (offline + online, human-in-the-loop, synthetic data)
  • Publications or open-source contributions in relevant areas
  • Experience applying latest context/harness engineering techniques to customer facing products
  • Founder or early-stage (first 10 engineers) or experience in standing up a new technology bet within a more established company

Work Environment/Travel
We are a 100% remote company where you will work from your home with company-provided equipment to set you up for success. Semi-frequent travel to professional office settings and other events locally and nationally; some overnight travel expected.
Compensation
In the spirit of pay transparency, we are excited to share the base salary range below, exclusive of fringe benefits or potential bonuses. If you are hired at Dropzone your final base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as geographic location, skills, education, and/or experience. In addition to those factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current team members as a part of any final offer. Please keep in mind that hiring at the maximum of the range would not be typical to allow for future and continued salary growth. We also offer a generous benefits package, including company paid health insurance, 401K Plan with employer match, Self-Managed PTO, parental leave, and more.
The pay range for this role is:
$200,000-$250,000 USD

Apply