Cosmology Researcher - Fully Remote | Upto $100/hr

mercor; United States; Remote; USD 96,000 - 138,000; Part time

Job summary

Mercor is seeking a Computational Astrophysics & Cosmology Expert for a remote contract role. The position connects elite talent with AI labs and offers flexible hours. You will design challenging problems in astrophysics, leverage Python and Astropy, and work asynchronously to refine problem sets for state-of-the-art AI models.

Commitment is 15–20 hours per week, compensation $70–$100/hour. Must have graduate STEM training and demonstrated experience with scientific software libraries; remote

Qualifications

• Graduate-level training in a relevant STEM field (MS, PhD, or equivalent).
• Proven proficiency with scientific software libraries through research or professional work.
• Strong Python skills for writing problem setups and solution validators.
• Ability to work in a Linux/terminal environment with remote compute sandboxes.
• Available for 15–20 hours/week.

Responsibilities

• Design challenging computational problems to evaluate AI capabilities in scientific software usage.
• Develop problems requiring strategic planning and experimentation to uncover hidden data insights.
• Test and refine problems against state-of-the-art AI models to achieve target difficulty.
• Utilize Astrophysics & Cosmology expertise with tools like astropy for problem creation.
• Work independently and asynchronously to refine problem designs based on feedback.

Skills

Python

Linux / UNIX shell

Analytical thinking

Education

MS/PhD in a STEM field

Tools

Astropy

Job description

About the job

Mercor connects elite creative and technical talent with leading AI research labs. Headquartered in San Francisco, our investors include Benchmark , General Catalyst , Peter Thiel , Adam D'Angelo , Larry Summers , and Jack Dorsey .

Position: Computational Astrophysics & Cosmology Expert
Type: Contract
Compensation: $70–$100/hour
Location: Remote
Commitment: 15–20 hours/week

Role Responsibilities

• Design challenging computational problems to evaluate AI capabilities in scientific software usage.


• Develop problems requiring strategic planning and experimentation to uncover hidden data insights.


• Test and refine problems against state-of-the-art AI models to achieve target difficulty.


• Utilize Astrophysics & Cosmology expertise with tools like astropy for problem creation.


• Work independently and asynchronously to refine problem designs based on feedback.

Qualifications Must-Have

• Graduate-level training in a relevant STEM field ( MS, PhD, or equivalent ).


• Proven proficiency with scientific software libraries through research or professional work.


• Strong Python skills for writing problem setups and solution validators.


• Ability to work in a Linux/terminal environment with remote compute sandboxes.


• Available for 15–20 hours/week .

Preferred

• Experience across multiple domains or tools.


• Familiarity with benchmark or evaluation design.


• Background in scientific teaching or exam/problem-set design.


• Experience with computational reproducibility and containerized environments.