Astrophysics Computation Designer for AI Evaluation Remote

mercor; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; GBP 73,000 - 104,000; Full time

Job summary

Mercor is seeking a remote STEM Computational Scientific Software & Evaluation Designer in Astrophysics & Cosmology. The role focuses on creating graduate-level computational problems and evaluating how AI systems tackle research-grade challenges, from simulations to data interpretation. Strong Python and Linux skills are required, with independent, asynchronous work in a flexible 15–20 hour weekly commitment. Astropy expertise is a plus.

Qualifications

• Graduate-level training in a STEM field (MS/PhD or equivalent).
• Proficiency with scientific software libraries evidenced by publications or work.

Responsibilities

• Design graduate-level computational problems using domain-specific scientific software libraries.
• Evaluate AI systems' ability to solve research-grade problems from querying simulations to interpreting outputs.
• Develop experimental strategies to recover hidden information from data, emphasizing strategic reasoning.
• Calibrate tasks against state-of-the-art AI models, refining problem designs to achieve target difficulty.
• Work independently and asynchronously to iterate on problem designs based on calibration feedback.
• Utilize astropy and related tools for cosmological calculations and observational data reduction.

Skills

Python programming

Linux/terminal

Remote collaboration

Education

Graduate-level training (MS/PhD or equivalent)

Tools

Astropy

Containerized environments

Job description

Mercor is seeking a remote STEM Computational Scientific Software & Evaluation Designer in Astrophysics & Cosmology. The role focuses on creating graduate-level computational problems and evaluating how AI systems tackle research-grade challenges, from simulations to data interpretation. Strong Python and Linux skills are required, with independent, asynchronous work in a flexible 15–20 hour weekly commitment. Astropy expertise is a plus.