Remote Applied Physics Problem Designer (Contract)

mercor; Germany (OH); On-site; USD 84,000 - 106,000; Part time

Job summary

Mercor is seeking an Applied Physics Benchmark Specialist for a remote, contract position. The role requires deep physics knowledge, graduate-level mathematical formalism, and the ability to design rigorous test questions with clear assumptions and unambiguous statements.

Expect 10+ hours per week, flexible scheduling, and strong written English. You will author original physics questions, rate difficulty (Medium/Hard/Expert), provide 1 correct answer plus 9 plausible distractors, and cite 1–5

Qualifications

• Must-Have 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.
• Excellent written English and ability to express complex ideas clearly and concisely.
• Preferred Experience with rigorous academic problem design or physics olympiad writing is a strong plus.

Responsibilities

• Author original physics questions testing deep conceptual understanding.
• Ensure questions are unambiguous, self-contained, and precisely defined with all info in the statement.
• Rate each question's difficulty: Medium, Hard, or Expert.
• Provide 1 correct answer plus 9 plausible distractors.
• Write step-by-step Chain-of-Thought solutions with clear intermediate steps.
• Supply 1–5 academic references per question.

Skills

Graduate-level physics

Mathematical formalism

Academic writing

Education

PhD in Physics

Master's in Physics (considered)

Job description

Mercor is seeking an Applied Physics Benchmark Specialist for a remote, contract position. The role requires deep physics knowledge, graduate-level mathematical formalism, and the ability to design rigorous test questions with clear assumptions and unambiguous statements.

Expect 10+ hours per week, flexible scheduling, and strong written English. You will author original physics questions, rate difficulty (Medium/Hard/Expert), provide 1 correct answer plus 9 plausible distractors, and cite 1–5