Computational Research Scientist

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: Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics Professional Type: Freelance Compensation: $70–$90/hour Duration: 1–2 months Commitment: 15–25 hours/week, with flexibility up to 80 hours/week Role Responsibilities Identify and analyze high-impact research papers in Physics , Chemistry , Math , or Science that introduce novel, code-implementable methods. Break down high-level scientific problems into logical, independently testable subproblems. Develop "Gold Standard" Python solutions for each subproblem and create unit tests to verify accuracy. Review peer prompts, golden solutions, and unit tests for accuracy, comprehensiveness, and difficulty. Work independently and asynchronously to improve AI model performance . Qualifications Must-Have Bachelor’s , Master’s , or PhD in a STEM field (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biochemistry, or related Computational Sciences). Strong experience in Python and scientific computing libraries (e.g., NumPy , SciPy , Matplotlib , JAX , or domain-specific packages like RDKit or OpenMM ). Ability to translate dense academic research into clear, structured problem statements for a technical audience. Proficiency with Git , including branch management and pull request workflows. Familiarity with testing frameworks like pytest and the ability to write robust validation scripts for mathematical/scientific code. Start Date Immediate Application Process (Takes 20–30 mins to complete) Upload your resume AI interview: 3 short, 15-minute conversational sessions to understand your background, experience, and interest in the role Follow-up communication within a few days with next steps and onboarding details Resources & Support For details about the interview process and platform information, please check: https://talent.docs.mercor.com/welcome/welcome For any help or support, reach out to: support@mercor.com PS: Our team reviews applications daily. Please complete your AI interview and application steps to be considered for this opportunity.