[Contract] Applied Physics Benchmark Specialist

1000scholars; United States; Remote; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Mercor is seeking expert physicists to author and review high-quality academic assessment content for an AI research initiative. You will write and verify rigorous multiple-choice questions, evaluate solution quality, and help establish gold-standard benchmarks used to advance AI capabilities.

This fully remote role offers asynchronous work and a commitment of 10+ hours per week, with payments weekly via Stripe or Wise.

Qualifications

• PhD or doctoral candidate in Physics, Applied Physics, Astrophysics, or closely related field.
• Master's degree considered for exceptional depth in a subdomain.
• Strong command of graduate-level physics concepts and mathematical formalism.

Responsibilities

• Author original physics questions testing deep conceptual understanding.
• Rate difficulty as Medium, Hard, or Expert.
• Provide 1 correct answer and 9 plausible distractors.
• Write step-by-step Chain-of-Thought solutions in markdown.
• Supply 1–5 academic references per question.
• Flag clarity, completeness, and solvability when verifying edits.

Skills

Excellent written English

Education

PhD in Physics / Applied Physics

Master's degree in physics or related field

Job description

[Contract] Applied Physics Benchmark Specialist

Mercor

Remote

Role Overview

We are seeking expert physicists to author and review high-quality academic assessment content for an AI research initiative. You will write and verify rigorous multiple-choice questions across core physics domains, evaluate solution quality, and help establish gold-standard benchmarks used to advance AI capabilities.

You will be assigned one of two task types:

• Question Authoring — Create original, challenging multiple-choice questions in your area of physics expertise, rate their difficulty, and submit them for review.
• Question Verification — Review pre-written questions for accuracy, clarity, and rigor. Edit where needed, rate difficulty, and document any changes made.

Physics Domains Covered

• Semiconductor Physics
• Nanoelectronics & Spintronics
• Photonics
• Quantum Optics & Ultrafast
• Quantum Sensing & Metrology
• Plasma Physics & Fusion Energy
• Nonlinear Dynamics & Turbulence
• Geophysics & Reservoir Simulation

Key Responsibilities

• Author original physics questions that test deep conceptual understanding, not surface-level recall
• Ensure questions are unambiguous, self-contained, and precisely defined — all necessary information must be in the problem statement
• Rate each question's difficulty: Medium (intro undergraduate), Hard (advanced undergraduate), or Expert (post-graduate and above)
• Provide 1 correct answer and 9 plausible but subtly incorrect alternatives that challenge expert-level solvers
• Write step-by-step Chain-of-Thought solutions with clear, concise intermediate steps in markdown format
• Supply 1–5 academic references per question from reputable sources (peer-reviewed journals, university repositories)
• For verification tasks: flag issues with clarity, completeness, precision, or solvability and justify any edits made

Ideal Qualifications

• PhD or doctoral candidate in Physics, Applied Physics, Astrophysics, or a closely related field
• Master's degree considered for candidates with exceptional depth in a specific subdomain
• Strong command of graduate-level physics concepts and mathematical formalism
• Experience with rigorous academic problem design or physics olympiad writing is a strong plus
• Excellent written English and ability to express complex ideas clearly and concisely

More About the Opportunity

Expected commitment: 10+ hours/week

Asynchronous, fully remote work

We consider all qualified applicants without regard to legally protected characteristics and provide reasonable accommodations upon request.

Contract and Payment Terms

You will be engaged as an independent contractor.

This is a fully remote role that can be completed on your own schedule.

Projects can be extended, shortened, or concluded early depending on needs and performance.

Your work at Mercor will not involve access to confidential or proprietary information from any employer, client, or institution.

Payments are weekly on Stripe or Wise based on services rendered.

Please note: We are unable to support H1-B or STEM OPT candidates at this time.