PhD Chemist AI Evaluator - $90-$140/hr Career Opportunity

Weekday; United States; Remote; USD 124,000 - 193,000; Full time

Job summary

Weekday is seeking highly experienced PhD chemists to contribute their scientific expertise to the evaluation and advancement of AI models. You will review chemistry-related tasks, assess AI-generated outputs, and design rigorous benchmarks to measure model performance.

The role is fully remote in the United States and offered as an independent contractor with weekly payments. Candidates should hold a PhD in Chemistry or a closely related field, plus senior research experience and a strong

Qualifications

• PhD in Chemistry or closely related discipline required.
• Senior-level academic or research experience (PI, faculty, Staff Scientist) or equivalent.
• Deep specialization in organic, physical, computational, inorganic, materials, analytical chemistry, chemical biology, or theoretical chemistry.
• Strong peer-reviewed publication record.
• Hands-on experience using Large Language Models (LLMs) in scientific workflows.

Responsibilities

• Expert Evaluation: review chemistry tasks and AI outputs for accuracy and rigor.
• Identify implausible mechanisms, infeasible reactions, and spectral errors.
• Design precise, challenging chemistry problems reflecting real-world challenges.
• Create detailed reference solutions with equations and mechanisms.
• Develop benchmarking datasets and evaluation criteria.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Written communication

Critical thinking

Attention to detail

Independent contractor mindset

Education

PhD in Chemistry

Senior-level academic or research experience

Strong peer-reviewed publication record

Tools

LLMs in research workflows

Job description

PhD Chemist AI Evaluator - $90-$140/hr Career Opportunity — Remote

Compensation vs. Market: At $90–$140/hr as an independent contractor, this is a strong rate for senior PhD-level chemistry expertise. Annualized at full-time hours, this equates to roughly $187K–$291K — well above typical academic salaries for Associate or even Full Professors ($100K–$160K), though without benefits or job security.

Skills Developed: This role sits at the cutting edge of AI + scientific domain intersection. You will build expertise in:

• AI/LLM evaluation methodology and benchmark design — a rapidly growing, high-demand skill set.
• Scientific reasoning quality assessment — transferable to AI safety and alignment research roles.

Career Signals: The AI training data and RLHF (Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback) space is booming. Experience contributing to frontier AI model development is a valuable credential for future roles at AI labs (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google DeepMind) or AI-in-science startups.

Green Flags: Flexible, project-based work is ideal for academics wanting supplemental income. Weekly payment cadence reduces financial risk. No IP conflicts required.

Red Flags: Contract-only with no benefits, no job security, and variable project duration. Not suitable as a primary income source for those needing stability. H-1B/OPT exclusions significantly narrow the candidate pool, reducing competition but also signaling compliance complexity.

This role is for one of our clients

Compensation: $90 – $140 per hour

Employment Type: Contract (Independent Contractor)
Location: Remote (United States)
Work Arrangement: Fully Remote, Flexible Schedule

Job Overview

We are seeking highly experienced PhD Chemists and Chemistry Researchers to contribute their scientific expertise to the development, evaluation, and advancement of next-generation Artificial Intelligence (AI) models.

In this role, you will collaborate with leading AI research teams to improve how advanced AI models understand, analyze, and reason about complex chemical concepts and real-world chemistry research. You will leverage your specialized domain knowledge and research experience to evaluate chemistry-related reasoning tasks, assess AI-generated outputs, develop rigorous problem specifications, create reference solutions, and design advanced benchmarks to measure model performance.

The ideal candidate will be an established academic or research professional with deep specialization in at least one area of chemistry, a strong peer-reviewed publication record, and practical experience using Large Language Models (LLMs) in scientific or research workflows.

Key Responsibilities

• Expert Evaluation: Review chemistry-related tasks and AI-generated outputs for scientific accuracy, logical consistency, and research-level rigor.
• Identify implausible reaction mechanisms, infeasible chemical reactions, stoichiometric inconsistencies, thermodynamic errors, and incorrect spectral interpretations.
• Problem Design: Develop precise, challenging, research-level chemistry problem statements that reflect real-world scientific and experimental challenges.
• Reference Solutions: Create detailed and scientifically rigorous reference solutions, including chemical equations, reaction mechanisms, calculations, and explanations that establish clear standards for correctness.
• Benchmark Development: Design advanced chemistry problems, evaluation datasets, and benchmarks within your area of specialization to assess and improve AI model capabilities.
• Scientific Assessment: Evaluate AI-generated chemical reasoning, experimental approaches, reaction predictions, and theoretical explanations to distinguish scientifically valid arguments from plausible but incorrect conclusions.
• Research Collaboration: Work with AI researchers and subject matter experts across related scientific disciplines to establish evaluation methodologies and improve model performance.
• Feedback & Calibration: Translate specialized chemical knowledge and expert judgment into structured feedback, evaluation criteria, and measurable quality standards.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related scientific discipline.
• Senior-level academic or research experience, such as:
  • Faculty appointment at a recognized university.
  • Principal Investigator (PI).
  • Staff Scientist or Senior Scientist.
  • Equivalent senior research position at a university, national laboratory, or established research organization.
• Deep specialization in at least one of the following chemistry domains:
  • Organic and Synthetic Chemistry
  • Physical Chemistry
  • Computational Chemistry
  • Inorganic Chemistry
  • Materials Chemistry
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Chemical Biology
  • Theoretical Chemistry
• Strong peer-reviewed research publication record.
• Recognition through competitive research fellowships, academic awards, grants, or other notable scientific achievements is an added advantage.
• Hands-on experience using Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI tools in scientific, academic, or research workflows.
• Strong analytical and critical-thinking abilities, with the ability to identify chemical inaccuracies and evaluate complex scientific reasoning.
• Excellent written communication skills and the ability to provide precise, structured, and technically sound feedback.
• Must be currently based in the United States.

Contract & Payment Terms

• Engagement will be on an independent contractor basis.
• The position is fully remote and offers flexibility to complete assignments according to your own schedule and project requirements.
• Project timelines may be extended, shortened, or concluded early depending on business requirements and individual performance.
• The engagement will not require access to confidential or proprietary information belonging to any current or former employer, client, university, or research institution.
• Payments will be processed weekly via Stripe or Wise based on services rendered.
• H-1B and STEM OPT visa holders cannot be accommodated for this opportunity.

Is this role truly flexible, or are there required working hours? The role offers a fully flexible schedule — you complete assignments on your own timeline according to project requirements, with no stated fixed hours or timezone constraints. Can I do this work from outside the United States? No. The posting explicitly requires candidates to be currently based in the United States. H-1B and STEM OPT visa holders are also excluded from this opportunity. How is payment processed and how often? Payments are processed weekly via Stripe or Wise based on services rendered, making cash flow management straightforward for independent contractors. What chemistry specializations are accepted for this role? The role welcomes deep specialization in Organic/Synthetic, Physical, Computational, Inorganic, Materials, Analytical, Chemical Biology, or Theoretical Chemistry. Is a PhD strictly required, or will equivalent experience be considered? A PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related discipline is listed as a required qualification, along with senior-level academic or research experience such as a faculty position, PI role, or Staff/Senior Scientist position.