Research Physics Expert
Mercor / Research Physics Expert
RATE
$80-$135/HR
LOCATION
REMOTE (GLOBAL)
DESCRIPTION
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
REQUIREMENTS
- ▸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
REFERRAL LINK · OPENS MERCOR · WE MAY EARN A REFERRAL
Or create a free Data Label Jobs profile to save roles.
More Mercor contracts
Cybersecurity Research Expert – Offensive Security & Vulnerability Research
Mercor / Cybersecurity Research Expert – Offensive Security & Vulnerability Research
Finance Specialist — CFA/ACA/ACCA/CPA Required
Mercor / Finance Specialist
Architecture Expert
Mercor / Architecture Expert
Fraud Analyst – Content & Reviews Abuse
Mercor / Fraud Analyst – Content & Reviews Abuse