Astrophysics Software Designer - Expert

About the job

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.

Position: STEM Computational Scientific Software & Evaluation Design - Astrophysics & Cosmology
Type: Contract
Compensation: $70–$100/hour
Location: Remote
Commitment: 15–20 hours/week

Role Responsibilities

• Design graduate-level computational problems using domain-specific scientific software libraries.
• Evaluate AI systems' ability to solve research-grade problems, from querying simulations to interpreting outputs.
• Develop experimental strategies to recover hidden information from data, emphasizing strategic reasoning.
• Calibrate tasks against state-of-the-art AI models, refining problem designs to achieve target difficulty.
• Work independently and asynchronously to iterate on problem designs based on calibration feedback.
• Utilize astropy and related tools for cosmological calculations and observational data reduction.

Qualifications

Must-Have

• Graduate-level training in a relevant STEM domain (MS, PhD, or equivalent research experience).
• Demonstrated proficiency with scientific software libraries, evidenced by research publications or professional work.
• Strong Python programming skills for writing problem setups and solution validators.
• Ability to work in a Linux/terminal environment with remote compute sandboxes.
• Available for at least 15–20 hours per week.

Preferred

• Experience across multiple listed domains or tools.
• Familiarity with benchmark or evaluation design.
• Background in scientific pedagogy or exam/problem-set design.
• Experience with computational reproducibility and containerized environments.

Application Process (Takes 20–30 mins to complete)

• Upload resume
• AI interview based on your resume
• Submit form

Resources & Support

• For details about the interview process and platform information, please check: https://talent.docs.mercor.com/welcome
• For any help or support, reach out to: [email protected]

PS: Our team reviews applications daily. Please complete your AI interview and application steps to be considered for this opportunity.