Quantum Computing Physicist - Fully Remote | Upto $70/hr

Obsidian; Greater London; Remote; GBP 7,200 - 11,000; Part time

Job summary

Mercor in the United Kingdom is seeking PhD and Master's physicists to author AI evaluation tasks for a new frontier benchmark. You will create original, executable problems that current models struggle to solve, focusing on at least two physics subdomains and leveraging Python or R for computation.

This six-week, part-time engagement (20+ hours/week) starts immediately, with opportunities to publish and contribute to a growing AI benchmarking effort.

Qualifications

• PhD in physics or related field is required.
• Depth in at least two subdomains (e.g., condensed matter, optics, quantum information).
• Proficient in Python, R, or other scientific computing languages; familiar with Git workflow and Docker.

Responsibilities

• Source your own material (papers, datasets, open-source repos) or design scenarios.
• Write scientific prompts based on inputs.
• Build grading criteria to define correct answers.
• Calibrate against frontier models; a task ships when models fail it more often than succeed.

Skills

Python

R

Scientific computing

Git/GitHub

Docker

Education

PhD in physics

Master's in physics

Job description

Mercor is hiring PhD and Master's scientists to author AI evaluation tasks (Sci Code)

Mercor is partnering with leading AI labs on a new benchmark for scientific computing. You will author original, executable research problems that today's frontier models cannot solve.

Domains — depth required in at least two subdomains (with a coding focus)

• Physics — condensed matter, optics, quantum information/computing, computational physics, astrophysics, particle physics

What you'll do

• Source your own material: a published paper, a Kaggle dataset, an open-source repository, or a scenario you design

• Write scientific prompts based on the input

• Build the grading criteria that define a correct answer

• Calibrate against frontier models — a task ships only when strong models fail it more often than they succeed

Required

• PhD in physics, applied physics, or a closely related field

• Demonstrated depth in at least two of the following subdomains: condensed matter, optics, quantum information/computing, computational physics, astrophysics, particle physics

• Working proficiency in Python, R, or another relevant programming language for scientific computing

• Comfortable with Git/GitHub and running code in Docker — authoring runs through a pull-request workflow with automated quality checks

Preferred

• Publications in peer-reviewed journals

• Prior scientific software or research engineering experience

Engagement

• Duration: 6 weeks

• Commitment: part-time, 20+ hours per week

• Start date: immediate

Process

1. Upload your resume and application form

2. A 25-minute conversational interview covering your background, experience, and motivations

3. Follow up within a few days with next steps and onboarding