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

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.