Physics PhD - Scientific Computing Expert

Mercor; Mumbai; On-site; INR 1,378,000 - 2,755,000; Part time

Job summary

Mercor is seeking PhD and Master’s scientists to author executable AI evaluation tasks as part of a new benchmark for scientific computing. You will craft original problems that frontier models struggle to solve and contribute to a high-quality evaluation framework.

The role focuses on sources of data, prompt creation, and rigorous grading criteria, with an emphasis on cross-subdomain depth and reproducible experiments using Python, Docker, and GitHub workflows.

Qualifications

• PhD in physics, applied physics, or a closely related field.
• Depth in at least two subdomains: condensed matter, optics, quantum information/computing, computational physics, astrophysics, or particle physics.
• Proficiency in Python, R, or another language for scientific computing.
• Experience with Git/GitHub and running code in Docker with PR-based workflows and automated checks.

Responsibilities

• Source your own material: a published paper, a Kaggle dataset, an open-source repository, or a designed scenario.
• Write scientific prompts based on the input.
• Build grading criteria to define correct answers.
• Calibrate tasks against frontier models to ensure robust failures.

Skills

Python

Scientific computing

Research design

Education

PhD in physics

Master's in physics

Tools

Docker

Git/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