Optimization Specialist

Mercor is hiring an Optimization Specialist on behalf of a leading AI lab. In this role, you’ll tackle real-world scheduling, routing, allocation, and constraint satisfaction problems using mathematical programming and heuristics. You’ll design robust optimization models and reproducible pipelines that directly power advanced AI-driven systems. This is an exciting opportunity for candidates with a strong background in operations research, applied mathematics, or computer science who want to apply optimization at scale in cutting-edge AI research and applications.

You’re a great fit if you:

• Have a background in operations research, applied mathematics, computer science, or engineering.

• Are proficient in Python and optimization libraries such as CVXPY, OR-Tools, CPLEX, SciPy, NumPy, and pandas.

• Understand mathematical programming methods (MILP, CP, heuristics) and their tradeoffs.

• Have experience designing models for scheduling, routing, or allocation at scale.

• Are comfortable building reproducible pipelines and benchmarking optimization approaches.

• Care about delivering models that balance optimality, scalability, and real-world performance.

• Are curious about how optimization connects with AI systems and large-scale decision engines.

Primary Goal of This Role

To design and implement optimization models and heuristics that solve large-scale real-world scheduling, routing, and allocation problems, and deliver them as reproducible, production-grade pipelines for AI-driven systems.

What You’ll Do

• Build scalable optimization pipelines for scheduling, routing, and resource allocation.

• Translate AI lab and product requirements into robust optimization formulations (MILP/CP, heuristics).

• Benchmark, validate, and stress-test optimization models with real-world datasets.

• Develop heuristics and approximation methods for time-sensitive and large-scale workloads.

• Collaborate with AI researchers and engineers to integrate optimization into production systems.

• Document models, experiments, and workflows for reproducibility and reliability.

Why This Role Is Exciting

• You’ll pioneer optimization pipelines that power AI systems in production.

• You’ll apply cutting-edge mathematical programming techniques to high-impact, real-world problems.

• You’ll collaborate on a high-impact effort at the intersection of optimization, AI, and large-scale engineering.

• You’ll help shape how advanced optimization drives the next wave of AI research and applications.

Pay & Work Structure

• Weekly Bonus of $500–$1000 USD per 5 tasks created.

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.

About Mercor

Mercor partners with leading AI labs and enterprises to train frontier models using human expertise. You will work on projects that focus on training and enhancing AI systems. You will be paid competitively, collaborate with leading researchers, and help shape the next generation of AI systems in your area of expertise.