Chemistry PhD - Quantum Specialist

Mercor; New York (NY); On-site; USD 83,000 - 124,000; Part time

Job summary

Mercor is hiring PhD and Master's scientists to author AI evaluation tasks for Sci Code. You will craft original, executable research problems that frontier models cannot solve, focusing on chemistry-related subdomains and computing challenges.

You will source material, write prompts, build grading criteria, and calibrate models to maximize diagnostic difficulty. This 6-week, part-time role requires strong programming skills and a track record in scientific computing.

Qualifications

• PhD in chemistry or closely related field.
• Demonstrated depth in quantum chemistry and computational chemistry.
• Experience with Python, R, or similar for scientific computing.
• Familiar with Git/GitHub and running code in Docker with PR workflows.

Responsibilities

• Source materials: papers, datasets, open-source repos, or designed scenarios.
• Write scientific prompts based on input.
• Build grading criteria defining correct answers.
• Calibrate against frontier models to ensure robust failure cases.

Skills

Quantum chemistry

Computational chemistry

Python

Git/GitHub

Docker

Education

PhD in Chemistry/Computational Chemistry

Tools

Python

R

GitHub

Docker

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

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