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MetaOptimize is hiring contractors for exciting project work building real-world NLP + machine learning systems. I have a lot of who cool project work for people who are good hackers, and can deliver fast and correct code and are self-starters.

This is for remote, short-term gigs. You can set your hours. The only requirement is that you kick ass and add value from day one.

Email your resume and/or github URL to joseph at metaoptimize dot com

We are looking for generalists and specialists:

* Hardcore programmers who learn new technologies and APIs quickly. * People with backgrounds in machine learning, natural language processing, information retrieval, and/or search. Medium experience is fine, you don't have to have a PhD.

* Visualization programmers

Did I miss you? Send me an email anyway, and explain how you kick ass and are a self-starter.

Example things you might work on:

* Take this Python/Java program that operates in batch over textfiles, and convert it into a webservice (REST+JSON or XML-RPC or whatever) that operates real-time online (one document at a time).

* I have a NLP tool but the output is dirty. Build these simple text processing components to clean it up, e.g. by discarding low freq terms.

* Exploratory statistical analysis over data sets, to see if there are any interesting patterns. (More open ended)

* Take this code for a neural network, and write scripts that batch invoke the NN with different hyperparameters to do model selection.




Hey bravura,

Do you mind elaborating your process of hiring remote workers for short term gigs? Do you make them sign NDA agreements?

How do you make sure they are not abusing the code that you give them?

Thanks


Typically, I do an email screen with a bunch of questions, to get a sense of how the applicant will fit in. (I apologize to applicants to whom I haven't responded yet. The response has been overwhelming so far, but it's important to me to give everyone a shot and not let someone good fall through the cracks.)

Depending upon whether I think they can take a leading role, I will ask them some hard open-ended NLP or ML puzzles over email. I will also do a skype screen going over a breadth of technical questions.

If I do want to work with someone, I send them a standard contractor agreement. It include a variety of clauses, including an NDA, as well as terms governing ownership of the code and IP developed, the payment schedule, etc. The NDA is extended to cover all NDAs that I sign on behalf of MetaOptimize, i.e. if MetaOptimize is working for client Foo, and you're working for MetaOptimize, then you are also bound by the Foo NDA agreement.

But a contract is only as good as the parties signing it, so to a certain extent I have to rely upon references and my gut to see if I trust the worker.

Does that answer your question?


Thanks, I am also thinking about hiring remote workers for ML style stuff, so this is very helpful indeed.




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