Version 0.3

The open standard for
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OJCP defines how AI agents discover, reason over, and act on job opportunities. Built on MCP. Interoperable with schema.org. Governed by an independent steering committee, and designed to compose with the broader agentic web.

Read the Spec View on GitHub

Founding Members

Built by a coalition, not a vendor

OJCP is shaped by employers, ATS vendors, job boards, staffing agencies, and agent platforms — each holding one seat on the steering committee, none holding a veto.

Why OJCP

Built for the agentic web

A shared protocol so AI agents and job providers speak the same language — structured, discoverable, privacy-respecting.

MCP-Native Tools

OJCP tools are valid MCP tools. Any MCP client can call search_jobs, get_job_detail, and begin_application out of the box.

Structured Discovery

Providers expose a manifest at /.well-known/ojcp.json. Agents discover capabilities, tools, and apply paths automatically.

Normalized Apply Paths

A standard taxonomy of application mechanisms — from ATS-direct to agent-ready flows — so agents know exactly how to apply.

Consent-First Privacy

Candidate data is opt-in and scoped. Resume embeddings enable fit-scoring without transmitting PII. Visa, relocation, and clearance eligibility is stated explicitly, and an unstated gate is never read as a no.

Agent-Aware Ranking

Pass CandidateContext for personalized results. Providers return fit_score and fit_rationale alongside standard job data.

WebMCP Ready

Browser-native agents can access OJCP tools via navigator.modelContext. Same schemas, same tools, new surface.

Verified Agent Identity

Agents sign requests and bind agent_id to their own namespace, with delegated signing for third-party hosts. User mandates prove that a person authorized one specific action.

Agent-Scoped Visibility

Providers mark jobs public, restricted, or private and enforce visibility server-side against a verified agent_id. Gating depends on the agent, never on the candidate.

Provider-Derived Attribution

Providers credit each application from evidence they already hold — an issued attribution_ref or the agent's last impression of the job. No relaying, no fingerprinting.

Specification

Schemas & Tools

OJCP defines eight core schemas and six standard MCP tools. Providers MUST implement search_jobs; all others are recommended. Custom tools use namespaced names (e.g., acme:get_referral_link).

MCP Tools

search_jobs (required)

check_application_status

Job Manifest

manifest.json

Discovery endpoint at /.well-known/ojcp.json

ojcp_version
provider
tools
mcp_endpoint
auth
rate_limits

JobPosting

job-posting.json

Extends schema.org/JobPosting with agent-specific fields

ojcp_id
skills_required
experienceLevel
jobLocation (one or many)
apply_paths
urgency
visibility
eligibility

CandidateContext

candidate-context.json

Consent-scoped candidate profile for personalized results

consent_scope
skills
experience_years
employment_type_preference

AgentDeclaration

agent-declaration.json

Agent identification, signed requests, and user mandates

agent_id
acting_on_behalf_of
interaction_mode
user_consent_token
user_mandate

VerificationStep

verification-step.json

Identity verification action for human completion

step_id
type
verifier_id
verification_url
ui_resource (MCP Apps)
human_required

VerificationProof

verification-proof.json

JWS proof with required claims: iss, aud, sub, iat, exp, nonce — no PII

step_id
verifier_id
proof_token (JWS)
subject_hash (SHA-256)
issued_at
expires_at

VerifierManifest

verifier-manifest.json

Discovery document hosted at /.well-known/ojcp-verifier.json

verifier_id
verification_types
proof_delivery_methods
proof_format (jws|jws+jwe)
signing_algorithms
public_keys_url (JWKS)

AgentIdentity

agent-identity.json

Delegated signing document hosted at /.well-known/ojcp-agent.json

agent_id
signers

How It Works

Four steps from discovery to application

Discover

Agent probes /.well-known/ojcp.json or queries the OJCP Registry to find providers. The manifest declares available tools, apply paths, and authentication requirements.

Search & Evaluate

Agent calls search_jobs with optional candidate_context for personalized ranking. Each result includes fit_score, apply paths, and structured metadata.

Apply

Agent calls begin_application with an agent_declaration and the candidate's consent token. The provider returns required fields and a session for multi-step flows.

Track

Agent calls check_application_status to monitor progress. Providers emit structured status updates throughout the hiring pipeline.

Examples

See it in action

From discovery to application — real OJCP payloads your agents can use today.

→ /.well-known/ojcp.json

{
  "ojcp_version": "0.3",
  "provider": {
    "name": "Acme Careers",
    "employer_id": "acme",
    "description": "Global leader in industrial innovation",
    "industries": ["manufacturing", "engineering"],
    "hq_location": { "city": "Chicago", "state": "IL", "country": "US" }
  },
  "mcp_endpoint": "https://careers.acme.com/ojcp/mcp",
  "tools": [
    "search_jobs",
    "get_job_detail",
    "get_employer_context",
    "begin_application",
    "check_application_status"
  ],
  "apply_paths": ["ats_direct", "provider_hosted"],
  "auth": {
    "required": true,
    "optional_scopes": ["apply", "candidate_data"]
  },
  "rate_limits": {
    "anonymous_rps": 10,
    "authenticated_rps": 50,
    "burst_limit": 100
  }
}

Apply Paths

Normalized application taxonomy

OJCP standardizes the fragmented landscape of application mechanisms into a taxonomy agents can reason over.

Type	Description	Agent Submission
`ats_direct`	Apply directly via ATS (Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, etc.)	Varies
`provider_hosted`	Provider controls the apply flow and delivers to ATS	Full Support
`platform_native`	Third-party platform owns the flow (e.g., Indeed Apply, Easy Apply)	Limited
`email`	Legacy email-based application	Not Supported
`external_redirect`	Redirect to opaque external page	Not Supported
`custom`	Catch-all for non-standard apply mechanisms (homegrown, conversational, etc.)	Varies

Live Playground

Try the OJCP API

This site is a live OJCP provider. Fire real tool calls against mock data — the same endpoint MCP clients connect to.

MCP: /api/mcp

Manifest: /.well-known/ojcp.json

Query

Remote OK

Min Salary

Job ID

Employer

Job ID

Application ID

Auto-populated from begin_application (try globex:sa-2026-004)

Session Token

Application ID

Auto-populated when you run begin_application

Get Started

Build with OJCP

Whether you're a job board, ATS, or agent developer — the spec is open and contributions are welcome.

Read the Spec

The full OJCP specification covers tools, schemas, apply paths, agent identity, and security requirements.

View Specification

Explore Schemas

JSON Schemas for JobPosting, CandidateContext, AgentDeclaration, and the Manifest.

Browse Schemas

Contribute

OJCP is open. File issues, propose changes, or build a reference implementation.

Open an Issue

Join the Discussion

Shape the future of agent-ready hiring. We welcome ATS vendors, job boards, and agent developers.

Get Involved

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