[Contract] Research Physics Expert

[Contract] Research Physics Expert

Mercor

Remote

Role Overview

We are seeking expert physics researchers to author and verify golden reference solutions for the CritPt benchmark (arXiv:2509.26574v3) - a frontier research-level physics benchmark. Participants will solve CritPt research-level problems end-to-end, audit solutions from other experts, or adjudicate between parallel solution attempts, producing 100%-human-verified reference data used to evaluate large language models on frontier physics reasoning.

Physics Subdomains Covered

High Energy Physics & Mathematical Physics, Biophysics & Statistical Physics, Condensed Matter & AMO, Gravitation/Cosmology/Astrophysics, Quantum Information, Optical Properties of Materials, Magnetic Materials, Measurements in QM.

Key Responsibilities

• Solve research-level physics challenges end-to-end with verifiable derivations, code, and peer-reviewed references
• Decompose challenges into standalone checkpoint sub-problems that require genuine physical reasoning
• Author Python answer templates with auto-grading functions for symbolic or numerical answers
• Audit submitted solutions for correctness, scope, and method soundness; deliver actionable feedback across iterations
• Adjudicate between parallel solver attempts and decide which solution becomes the golden reference
• Document chain-of-thought reasoning, error tolerances, equivalent symbolic forms, and verification test cases

Ideal Qualifications

• Solver: PhD or postdoc in the relevant subfield (senior PhD student minimum)
• Auditor: Postdoc or junior professor in the relevant subfield (PhD minimum)
• Adjudicator: Full professor or industry research PI in the relevant subfield (senior postdoc or junior professor minimum)
• Hands-on familiarity with at least two canonical methods of the target subfield, demonstrable through publications (broader coverage strongly preferred)
• 3–5 representative publications (arXiv ID or DOI), ideally within the last ~5 years and in the target subfield
• Working proficiency with LaTeX, Python, Jupyter, and SymPy
• Strong written English (B2/C1/C2 minimum; native or near-native preferred)

More About the Opportunity

• Expected commitment: ~10 hours/week, sustained across an 8–10 week window per task pool
• Pay range: $80–$135 per hour, based on role and demonstrated expertise
• Asynchronous 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