Particle Physics Expert - Computational

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.

About the role

We are seeking a Computational Particle & Nuclear Physics Expert for a contract role. This remote position requires 15–20 hours per week at a rate of $70–$100/hour.

Responsibilities

• Design challenging computational problems to evaluate AI capabilities in Particle & Nuclear Physics.
• Develop problems requiring the use of scikit-hep and related HEP Python tools for data analysis and computations.
• Test and refine problems against state-of-the-art AI models to achieve target difficulty.
• Work independently to improve problem designs based on feedback and testing results.
• Collaborate asynchronously to ensure problem relevance and complexity.

Requirements

• Graduate-level training in a relevant STEM field (MS, PhD, or equivalent research experience).
• Proven proficiency with at least one listed scientific software library through research publications, open-source contributions, or professional work.
• Strong Python skills for writing problem setups, oracle functions, and solution validators.
• Ability to work independently and refine problem designs based on feedback.
• Comfortable working in a Linux/terminal environment with remote compute sandboxes.

Qualifications

• Experience across multiple listed 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.

Pay

$70–$100/hour

Schedule

15–20 hours/week