Astrophysics Software Designer – Expert

Stack

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, iterating on problem designs based on calibration feedback
• ▹Utilize astropy and related tools for cosmological calculations and observational data reduction

Requirements

• ▹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 15-20 hours per week

Nice to have

• ▹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

Soft skills

What we offer

• ▹$70-100 per hour contract compensation

About the company

Mercor connects elite creative and technical talent with leading AI research labs, headquartered in San Francisco, backed by investors including Benchmark, General Catalyst and Peter Thiel.