Show HN: OJCP – an open protocol for agent-consumable job data

OJCP, an open protocol for agent-consumable job data built on MCP and interoperable with schema.org, defines how AI agents discover, reason over, and act on job opportunities, with governance by an independent steering committee. The protocol includes seven core schemas and six standard MCP tools, requiring providers to implement search_jobs, and supports consent-first privacy, agent-aware ranking, and WebMCP readiness.

The open standard for | 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 /governance , and designed to compose with the broader agentic web. 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. Agents self-declare identity. 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. Specification Schemas & Tools OJCP defines seven 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 Job Manifest https://spec.ojcp.dev/ manifest Discovery endpoint at /.well-known/ojcp.json ojcp version provider tools mcp endpoint auth rate limits JobPosting https://spec.ojcp.dev/ schema-job-posting Extends schema.org/JobPosting with agent-specific fields ojcp id skills required experienceLevel apply paths urgency CandidateContext https://spec.ojcp.dev/ schema-candidate-context Consent-scoped candidate profile for personalized results consent scope skills experience years employment type preference AgentDeclaration https://spec.ojcp.dev/ schema-agent-declaration Agent self-identification for audit trails agent id acting on behalf of interaction mode user consent token VerificationStep https://spec.ojcp.dev/ identity-session-initiation Identity verification action for human completion step id type verifier id verification url human required VerificationProof https://spec.ojcp.dev/ identity-proof-format 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 https://spec.ojcp.dev/ identity-discovery 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 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. 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. 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 v0.1 specification covers tools, schemas, apply paths, and security requirements. View Specification https://spec.ojcp.dev/ Explore Schemas JSON Schemas for JobPosting, CandidateContext, AgentDeclaration, and the Manifest. Browse Schemas https://github.com/ojcp-org/ojcp/tree/main/schemas Contribute OJCP is open. File issues, propose changes, or build a reference implementation. Open an Issue https://github.com/ojcp-org/ojcp/issues Join the Discussion Shape the future of agent-ready hiring. We welcome ATS vendors, job boards, and agent developers. Get Involved https://github.com/ojcp-org/ojcp/discussions