Quantum Chemistry PhD - Coding Expert

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

Job summary

Mercor is seeking PhD or Master’s scientists to author AI evaluation tasks for a new scientific computing benchmark. You will craft executable research problems that frontier models currently cannot solve and source material from papers, datasets, or open repositories.

The role emphasizes depth in quantum and computational chemistry, proficiency in Python or R, and hands-on experience with Git/GitHub and Docker workflows. This 6-week, part-time engagement starts immediately.

Qualifications

• PhD or closely related field in chemistry.
• Depth in quantum chemistry and computational chemistry.
• Proficiency in Python or R.
• Experience with Docker and GitHub workflows.

Responsibilities

• Author original, executable research problems for AI evaluation tasks.
• Source materials such as papers, Kaggle datasets, or open-source repos.
• Develop grading criteria that define a correct answer.
• Calibrate against frontier models for model evaluation.

Skills

Python

R

Education

PhD in Chemistry

PhD in Physical Chemistry

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)

• Chemistry — quantum chemistry, computational chemistry

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 chemistry, physical chemistry, theoretical chemistry, computational chemistry, or a closely related field
• Demonstrated depth in both of the following subdomains: quantum chemistry and computational chemistry
• 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