Astrophysics Software Designer - Expert

mercor; France; Remote; EUR 74,000 - 123,000; Full time

Job summary

Mercor is seeking a STEM Computational Scientific Software & Evaluation Designer in Astrophysics & Cosmology. This contract role focuses on crafting graduate-level computational problems using domain-specific libraries, and evaluating AI systems' ability to solve research-grade challenges.

You will work remotely 15–20 hours per week, using Python in Linux environments, with astropy and related tools for cosmological calculations and data reduction.

Qualifications

• Graduate-level STEM degree or equivalent research experience.
• Proficiency with scientific software libraries evidenced by publications or professional work.
• Strong Python programming skills for problem setups and validators.
• Ability to work in a Linux/terminal environment with remote compute sandboxes.
• Available for at least 15–20 hours per week.

Responsibilities

• Design graduate-level computational problems using domain-specific scientific software libraries.
• Evaluate AI systems' ability to solve research-grade problems, from querying simulations to interpreting outputs.
• Develop experimental strategies to recover hidden information from data, emphasizing strategic reasoning.
• Calibrate tasks against state-of-the-art AI models, refining problem designs to achieve target difficulty.
• Work independently and asynchronously to iterate on problem designs based on calibration feedback.
• Utilize astropy and related tools for cosmological calculations and observational data reduction.

Skills

Graduate STEM degree

Python programming

Scientific software libraries

Linux/terminal

Remote 15-20h/wk

Education

MS/PhD or equivalent

Tools

Astropy

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: STEM Computational Scientific Software & Evaluation Design - Astrophysics & Cosmology

Type: Contract

Compensation: $70–$100/hour

Location: Remote

Commitment: 15–20 hours/week

Role Responsibilities

• Design graduate-level computational problems using domain-specific scientific software libraries.
• Evaluate AI systems' ability to solve research-grade problems, from querying simulations to interpreting outputs.
• Develop experimental strategies to recover hidden information from data, emphasizing strategic reasoning.
• Calibrate tasks against state-of-the-art AI models, refining problem designs to achieve target difficulty.
• Work independently and asynchronously to iterate on problem designs based on calibration feedback.
• Utilize astropy and related tools for cosmological calculations and observational data reduction.

Qualifications Must-Have

• Graduate-level training in a relevant STEM domain ( MS, PhD, or equivalent research experience ).
• Demonstrated proficiency with scientific software libraries, evidenced by research publications or professional work.
• Strong Python programming skills for writing problem setups and solution validators.
• Ability to work in a Linux/terminal environment with remote compute sandboxes.
• Available for at least 15–20 hours per week .

Preferred

• Experience across multiple listed domains or tools.
• Familiarity with benchmark or evaluation design.
• Background in scientific pedagogy or exam/problem-set design.
• Experience with computational reproducibility and containerized environments.

Resources & Support

• For details about the interview process and platform information, please check:
• For any help or support, reach out to: