Physics PhD - Quantum Computing Expert

Obsidian; Mumbai; On-site; INR 689,000 - 1,653,000; Part time

Job summary

Mercor is seeking PhD and Master's scientists to author AI evaluation tasks for a new benchmark in scientific computing. You will craft original, executable research problems that frontier models struggle to solve, with a focus on physics-related domains.

Work is part-time for 6 weeks (20+ hours/week), starting immediately. You will source materials, write prompts, design grading criteria, and calibrate tasks against advanced models using Python/R and Docker-driven workflows, with Git/GitHub for

Qualifications

• PhD in physics or closely related field.
• Depth in at least two subdomains: condensed matter, optics, quantum information/computing, computational physics, astrophysics, particle physics.
• Proficiency in Python or R for scientific computing.
• Familiarity with Git/GitHub and Docker workflows with PRs and automated checks.]

Responsibilities

• Source material from papers, Kaggle datasets, open-source repositories, or self-designed scenarios.
• Write scientific prompts based on input material.
• Build grading criteria that define a correct answer.
• Calibrate tasks against frontier models so they fail more often than they succeed.

Skills

Python

R

Git

Docker

Education

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

Tools

Git

Docker

GitHub

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