Applied Physics Specialist

Alignerr Corp.; Auckland; Remote; NZD 148,000 - 295,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully remote

Flexible hours

Contractor-friendly

Job summary

Alignerr is seeking a PhD-level Applied Physicist to design challenging physics problems and craft exact, truth-preserving solutions for AI training. The role focuses on multi-step reasoning across classical and quantum domains, ensuring AI reasoning adheres to fundamental laws.

Remote, contract-based with flexible hours. You will evaluate AI proofs, provide expert feedback on physics-informed reasoning, and document failure modes to guide research teams in improving models’ understanding of

Qualifications

• PhD completed or near completion in Applied Physics, Physics, Engineering Physics, or closely related discipline.
• Deep command of classical mechanics, electromagnetism, statistical mechanics, and quantum mechanics.
• Exceptional ability to communicate complex physics and proofs in clear written English.
• Uncompromising precision with units, notation, and derivations.
• Self-motivated and reliable for independent technical work.

Responsibilities

• Design PhD-level physics problems requiring multi-step reasoning across quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, and thermodynamics.
• Author precise, step-by-step golden solutions with correct constants and units.
• Audit AI reasoning for physical consistency and identify violations of conservation laws.
• Provide structured feedback to improve physics-informed AI reasoning and boundary-condition handling.
• Document failure modes to inform research teams about root causes.

Skills

Physics expertise

Written English clarity

Precise units and notation

Independent work

Education

PhD in Applied Physics / Physics / Engineering Physics

Tools

Python (NumPy/SciPy)

MATLAB

COMSOL

Job description

Applied Physics Specialist (AI Training)

About The Role

What if your deep expertise in physics could directly shape how AI understands the physical world — ensuring it respects the fundamental laws that govern reality? We're looking for PhD-level Applied Physicists to put cutting-edge Large Language Models through their paces: designing rigorous problems, exposing flawed reasoning, and helping AI systems learn to think like a physicist.

This is a fully remote, flexible contract role built for researchers and domain experts who want high-impact work on their own schedule. No prior AI experience required — just a mastery of physics and a sharp eye for where logic breaks down.

• Organization: Alignerr
• Type: Hourly Contract
• Location: Remote
• Commitment: 10–40 hours/week

What You'll Do

• Design Advanced Problems — Craft PhD-qualifying-level physics problems that demand multi-step reasoning, rigorous mathematical derivation, and genuine conceptual depth across topics like quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, and thermodynamics
• Author Ground-Truth Solutions — Write precise, step-by-step "golden responses" where every constant, unit, and logical step is unimpeachably correct
• Audit AI Reasoning — Evaluate AI-generated proofs and simulations for physical consistency, identifying where models "hallucinate" physics that violates first principles like conservation of energy or momentum
• Refine Model Understanding — Provide structured, expert feedback that improves how AI handles physics-informed reasoning, boundary conditions, and real-world physical constraints
• Document Failure Modes — Systematically record how and where AI reasoning breaks down so research teams can address the root causes

Who You Are

• Holds a PhD (completed or near completion) in Applied Physics, Physics, Engineering Physics, or a closely related discipline
• Deep command of the core pillars: Classical Mechanics, Electrodynamics, Statistical Mechanics, and Quantum Mechanics
• Exceptional ability to communicate complex physical phenomena and mathematical proofs in clear, structured written English
• Uncompromising precision when it comes to units, scientific notation, dimensional analysis, and the logical flow of a derivation
• Self-motivated and reliable when working independently on technical tasks
• No prior AI or data annotation experience required

Nice to Have

• Prior experience with data annotation, scientific dataset evaluation, or quality assurance for research content
• Proficiency with tools such as Python (NumPy/SciPy), MATLAB, or COMSOL
• Background in research benchmarking or academic assessment design
• Experience writing or reviewing technical content for educational or research purposes

Why Join Us

• Work on genuinely cutting-edge AI projects in collaboration with leading AI research labs
• Fully remote and flexible — structure your hours around your existing commitments
• Freelance autonomy with meaningful, intellectually stimulating work
• Direct, tangible impact on how AI reasons about the physical world
• Exposure to frontier LLM development and how state-of-the-art models are trained and evaluated
• Potential for ongoing work and contract extension as new projects launch