Physics jobs

7 active, referral-verified opportunities.

STEM / Remote

Research Physics Expert

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

$80 - $135 / hourOpen / Referral verified

STEM / Remote

Computational Particle & Nuclear Physics Expert

Particle & Nuclear Physics Expert — About the Project — We're building a large-scale benchmark to test how well advanced AI systems can solve hard scientific and engineering problems. As a task designer, you'll create challenging computational problems that check whether AI can use real scientific software to do research-level work — running simulations, interpreting results, designing experiments, and uncovering hidden information from data. — This isn't a typical data-labeling job. You'll design original, graduate-level problems based on real scientific workflows, test them against cutting-edge AI models, and fine-tune them until the difficulty is just right. — What You'll Do — You'll create problems that require skilled use of specialized scientific software. Some will ask the AI to compute exact answers from a fully defined setup — testing whether it can correctly carry out complex, multi-step workflows. Others will be harder: the AI must plan a series of queries or experiments to uncover information that isn't directly visible, which means thinking strategically about what to measure, how to read partial results, and how to narrow down the possibilities efficiently. — Each problem goes through a testing loop against state-of-the-art AI models, and you'll refine it until it hits the target difficulty. — Domains & Tools We're Hiring For — We're especially interested in experts with deep, hands-on experience in: — Particle & Nuclear Physics — working with scikit-hep and related HEP Python tools for particle physics data analysis, cross-section computations, renormalization group calculations, and perturbative QCD. Experience with Monte Carlo event generation or collider phenomenology is a plus. — _Experience with other specialized software in this domain will also be considered._ — What Makes a Strong Candidate — You have graduate-level expertise (MS or PhD preferred) in the domain above, with real hands-on experience using these tools — not just theoretical knowledge. You've written code using these libraries to solve actual research problems, and you understand where they break, what their edge cases are, and what makes a problem genuinely hard rather than just complicated. — Beyond domain expertise, the best candidates think like puzzle designers: building problems where the challenge comes from smart reasoning rather than raw computation, where several approaches seem plausible but only careful analysis reveals the right one, and where surface-level pattern matching won't get you to the answer. — Requirements • Graduate-level training in a relevant STEM field (MS, PhD, or equivalent research experience) • Proven proficiency with at least one of the listed scientific software libraries, shown through research publications, open-source contributions, or professional work • Strong Python skills — you'll be 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 • Available for at least 15–20 hours per week — Nice to Have • 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

$70 - $100 / hourOpen / Referral verified

Multimodal / Remote, United States (PST to EST hours)

Visual Quality Expert (Film, VFX & Animation)

Join a leading AI lab's cutting-edge GenAI team to be at the core of the AI revolution, where your expertise fuels the development of the most advanced AI models. — 1. Overview — Join a leading AI lab's cutting-edge GenAI team and help build foundational AI models from the ground up. We're seeking senior image quality experts from film, VFX, animation, and professional photography — VFX and rendering supervisors, colorists, cinematographers, lighting artists, and high-end photographers — with a strong foundation in visual perception, light physics, and pixel-level scrutiny. You will judge, frame by frame, whether an enhanced or upscaled image actually holds up, catching the compression artifacts, noise, aliasing, grain-structure inconsistency, and over- or under-sharpening that typically go unnoticed by the average viewer. — This is a part-time W-2 employment position with Cincinnatus LLC, with the opportunity to be placed at a leading AI Lab as part of their extended workforce. — 2. Key Responsibilities • Evaluate high-resolution video and stills at pixel level, identifying compression artifacts, noise, aliasing, banding, grain-structure inconsistency, and over- or under-sharpening. • Apply an uncompromising focus on the intricate details that typically go unnoticed, and flag where output diverges from professional image-quality standards. • Design and refine evaluation templates and rating guidelines so reviewers apply the same visual-quality bar consistently, including under edge cases. • Translate complex visual details into clear, precise descriptive language that can be captured in data captions and evaluation templates. • Generate your own visual samples for targeted testing and side-by-side comparison. • Collaborate with other subject matter experts and program leads to maintain visual consistency across sequences and across reviewers. — 3. Core Qualifications • 5+ years of professional experience in high-end visual evaluation across film, VFX, animation, or professional photography. • Direct professional experience in at least one of the following disciplines: • Visual Effects (VFX) Supervisor — the authority on final image quality, with an elite eye for pixel-level flaws, grain-structure inconsistencies, and visual artifacts. • Rendering Supervisor — accustomed to running dailies and taking ultimate responsibility for visual quality down to the absolute pixel. • Lighting Supervisor, Lead, or Artist — a specialist in illumination and the foundational building blocks of digital video and cinematic motion. • Colorist — deep expertise in color grading, artifact detection, and maintaining visual consistency across sequences. • Director of Photography (DP) or Cinematographer — skilled at framing, capturing visual performance, and critically evaluating over- and under-sharpness in high-resolution images. • Effects or Surfacing Artist — strong command of textures, materials, and the complex simulation of visual elements. • High-End Photographer — deep command of lighting dynamics, depth of field, and color artifacts in high-resolution captures. • Director — particularly those with deep experience directing crowd and background action. • Digital Projectionist — a rigorously trained eye for final-output quality, screen-level fidelity, and visual anomalies. • Training from a university or program with a highly respected film, visual effects, or digital media program. • Reliable access to a 4K-resolution monitor or display to perform precise, pixel-level evaluation. • Familiarity with AI tools and workflows, including the ability to generate your own visual samples for testing and comparison. • Ability to engage reliably for 20 hours per week, with working hours overlapping the PST to EST window. • Fluent in English, with the exceptional ability to translate complex visual details into clear, precise descriptive language. — About Cincinnatus LLC: Cincinnatus LLC is an enterprise staffing company that partners with leading technology companies to source and employ highly skilled professionals for contingent and contract-based opportunities. Cincinnatus serves as the employer of record for these engagements, providing W-2 employment, payroll, benefits, and compliance, while placing employees directly within client teams to work on high-impact initiatives. — Equal Employment Opportunity: Cincinnatus is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or any other legally protected characteristic.

$60 - $90 / hourOpen / Referral verified

Code / Remote

Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) Experts

Mercor is seeking experts in Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) and thin-film processes to support a frontier AI research lab building models for semiconductors and the physical sciences. This is hands-on, expert-level work: you'll apply deep, specialized knowledge to generate, structure, and evaluate the scientific data these models learn from — and your input will directly shape how advanced models reason about deposition, materials, and semiconductor processes. — Key Responsibilities: • Contribute domain expertise across ALD process development, precursor chemistry, and thin-film characterization to build high-quality training and evaluation data. • Review and evaluate AI-generated scientific reasoning, catching errors and improving technical accuracy. • Design and solve challenging, expert-level problems in ALD and semiconductor processing. • Rate and rank model outputs against defined scientific criteria, with clear written reasoning. • Structure technical knowledge — process parameters, recipes, characterization results — into well-organized, model-ready data. • Deliver reliable, high-quality work within defined timelines. — You're a strong fit if you have: • Hands-on experience developing, optimizing, or troubleshooting ALD processes. • Deep knowledge of thin-film deposition for semiconductor or advanced-packaging applications. • A strong grasp of precursor chemistry and surface reaction mechanisms. • Experience with materials characterization (XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, ellipsometry, etc.). • An advanced degree (PhD/MS) or equivalent hands-on experience in materials science, chemistry, chemical engineering, or physics. • Clear written English and the ability to explain technical reasoning precisely. — Role Details: • Type: Long-term, ongoing engagement • Engagement: Up to 40 hours/week (minimum 10) • Work arrangement: Remote (US-based)

$84 / hourOpen / Referral verified

STEM / Remote

Applied Physics Benchmark Specialist

Role Overview — We are seeking expert physicists to author and review high-quality academic assessment content for an AI research initiative. You will write and verify rigorous multiple-choice questions across core physics domains, evaluate solution quality, and help establish gold-standard benchmarks used to advance AI capabilities. — You will be assigned one of two task types: • Question Authoring — Create original, challenging multiple-choice questions in your area of physics expertise, rate their difficulty, and submit them for review. • Question Verification — Review pre-written questions for accuracy, clarity, and rigor. Edit where needed, rate difficulty, and document any changes made. — Physics Domains Covered — Semiconductor Physics, Nanoelectronics & Spintronics, Photonics, Quantum Optics & Ultrafast, Quantum Sensing & Metrology, Plasma Physics & Fusion Energy, Nonlinear Dynamics & Turbulence, Geophysics & Reservoir Simulation. — Key Responsibilities • Author original physics questions that test deep conceptual understanding, not surface-level recall • Ensure questions are unambiguous, self-contained, and precisely defined — all necessary information must be in the problem statement • Rate each question's difficulty: Medium (intro undergraduate), Hard (advanced undergraduate), or Expert (post-graduate and above) • Provide 1 correct answer and 9 plausible but subtly incorrect alternatives that challenge expert-level solvers • Write step-by-step Chain-of-Thought solutions with clear, concise intermediate steps in markdown format • Supply 1–5 academic references per question from reputable sources (peer-reviewed journals, university repositories) • For verification tasks: flag issues with clarity, completeness, precision, or solvability and justify any edits made — Ideal Qualifications • 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 • Experience with rigorous academic problem design or physics olympiad writing is a strong plus • Excellent written English and ability to express complex ideas clearly and concisely — More About the Opportunity • Expected commitment: 10+ hours/week • Asynchronous, fully remote work

$61 - $77 / hourOpen / Referral verified

Code / Remote — US-based

Atomistic & Surface Modeling Experts (Computational Materials & Catalysis)

Mercor is seeking computational scientists specializing in atomistic and surface modeling to support a frontier AI research lab building models for materials science and the physical sciences. This is hands-on, expert-level work: you'll apply deep, specialized knowledge to generate, structure, and evaluate the scientific data these models learn from — and your input will directly shape how advanced models reason about materials, surfaces, and chemical processes. — Key Responsibilities: • Contribute domain expertise across first-principles and molecular simulation — electronic structure, surface and interface modeling, adsorption, and reaction energetics — to build high-quality training and evaluation data. • Review and evaluate AI-generated scientific reasoning, catching errors and improving technical accuracy. • Design and solve challenging, expert-level problems in atomistic and surface modeling. • Rate and rank model outputs against defined scientific criteria, with clear written reasoning. • Structure technical knowledge — simulation setups, methods, and results — into well-organized, model-ready data. • Deliver reliable, high-quality work within defined timelines. — You're a strong fit if you have: • Hands-on experience with atomistic modeling using first-principles or molecular methods (DFT, ab initio molecular dynamics, classical MD, or Monte Carlo). • Experience modeling surfaces, interfaces, and adsorption or reaction phenomena (slab models, surface reconstructions, transition states, NEB, microkinetics). • Experience modeling semiconductor-relevant materials, or a background in computational (heterogeneous) catalysis. • Proficiency with standard tooling (e.g., VASP, Quantum ESPRESSO, CP2K, GPAW, LAMMPS, ASE, pymatgen). • A PhD in materials science, chemistry, physics, chemical engineering, or a related field, ideally with several years of research experience beyond the PhD. • Clear written English and the ability to explain technical reasoning concisely. — Role Details: • Type: Long-term, ongoing engagement • Engagement: Up to 40 hours/week (minimum 10) • Work arrangement: Remote (US-based)

$84 / hourOpen / Referral verified

Code / Remote

Inorganic Materials, Semiconductor & Superconductor Experts

Mercor is seeking experimental scientists and engineers across inorganic synthesis, characterization, superconductors, and semiconductors (including advanced packaging) to support a frontier AI research lab building models for materials science and the physical sciences. This is hands-on, expert-level work: you'll apply deep, specialized knowledge to generate, structure, and evaluate the scientific data these models learn from — and your input will directly shape how advanced models reason about materials, devices, and processes. — Key Responsibilities: • Contribute domain expertise across synthesis, characterization, fabrication, and device physics to build high-quality training and evaluation data. • Review and evaluate AI-generated scientific reasoning, catching errors and improving technical accuracy. • Design and solve challenging, expert-level problems in your area of specialization. • Rate and rank model outputs against defined scientific criteria, with clear written reasoning. • Structure technical knowledge — experimental procedures, characterization results, process data — into well-organized, model-ready data. • Deliver reliable, high-quality work within defined timelines. — You're a strong fit if you have: • Hands-on experimental experience in one or more of: inorganic synthesis (solid-state, solution, solvothermal, sol-gel), superconducting materials, or semiconductors and advanced packaging. • Strong materials or device characterization skills (XRD, SEM, TEM, spectroscopy, electrical/transport measurements). • Experience with thin-film growth or device fabrication (MBE/epitaxy, MOCVD, CVD, sputtering, IBAD, etch, clean-room microfabrication) — a plus. • An advanced degree (PhD/MS) or equivalent hands-on experience in materials science, chemistry, physics, or a related engineering field. • Clear written English and the ability to explain technical reasoning concisely. — Role Details: • Type: Long-term, ongoing engagement • Engagement: Up to 40 hours/week (minimum 10) • Work arrangement: Remote (US-based)

$84 / hourOpen / Referral verified