Applied Physics PhD - Assessment Expert

mercor; Deutschland; Remote; EUR 75,000 - 95,000; Part time

Job summary

Mercor is seeking an Applied Physics Benchmark Specialist for a remote, contract engagement. The role focuses on crafting rigorous physics questions and evaluation criteria for AI research collaborations, with compensation of $61–$77 per hour and a commitment of 10+ hours per week.

The ideal candidate holds a PhD (or doctoral candidate) in Physics or a related field, with strong graduate-level physics understanding and superb English writing. Master’s depth is considered for exceptional cases.

Qualifications

• PhD or doctoral candidate in Physics, Applied Physics, Astrophysics, or a closely related field.
• Master's degree considered for exceptional depth in a subdomain.
• Strong command of graduate-level physics concepts and mathematical formalism.
• Excellent written English and ability to express complex ideas clearly and concisely.

Responsibilities

• Author original physics questions testing deep conceptual understanding in semiconductor physics, nanoelectronics, spintronics, and photonics.
• Ensure questions are unambiguous, self-contained, and include all information in the problem statement.
• Rate each question's difficulty as Medium, Hard, or Expert; provide 1 correct answer and 9 plausible alternatives.
• Write step-by-step Chain-of-Thought solutions with clear, concise intermediate steps in Markdown.
• Supply 1–5 academic references per question from reputable sources.
• For verification tasks, flag issues with clarity, completeness, precision, or solvability and justify any edits.

Skills

Problem design

Technical writing

Semiconductor physics

Nanoelectronics

Spintronics

Photonics

Applied physics concepts

Education

PhD in Physics

Master's in Physics (exceptional depth)

Job description

About the job

Mercor connects elite creative and technical talent with leading AI research labs. Headquartered in San Francisco, our investors include Benchmark , General Catalyst , Peter Thiel , Adam D'Angelo , Larry Summers , and Jack Dorsey .

Position: Applied Physics Benchmark Specialist

Type: Contract

Compensation: $61–$77/hour

Location: Remote

Commitment: 10+ hours/week

Role Responsibilities

• Author original physics questions that test deep conceptual understanding in Semiconductor Physics , Nanoelectronics & Spintronics , Photonics , and other domains.
• Ensure questions are unambiguous, self-contained, and precisely defined with all necessary information in the problem statement.
• Rate each question's difficulty as Medium, Hard, or Expert, providing 1 correct answer and 9 plausible alternatives.
• Write step-by-step Chain-of-Thought solutions with clear, concise intermediate steps in markdown format.
• Supply 1–5 academic references per question from reputable sources like peer-reviewed journals.
• For verification tasks, flag issues with clarity, completeness, precision, or solvability and justify any edits made.

Qualifications

Must-Have

• PhD or doctoral candidate in Physics , Applied Physics , Astrophysics , or a closely related field.
• Master's degree considered for candidates with exceptional depth in a specific subdomain.
• Strong command of graduate-level physics concepts and mathematical formalism.
• Excellent written English and ability to express complex ideas clearly and concisely.

Preferred

• Experience with rigorous academic problem design or physics olympiad writing is a strong plus.

Originally posted on Himalayas