Astrophysics Expert - Computational Specialist

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: Computational Astrophysics & Cosmology Expert Type: Contract Compensation: $70–$100/hour Location: Remote Commitment: 15–20 hours/week Role Responsibilities Design challenging computational problems to evaluate AI capabilities in scientific software usage. Develop problems requiring strategic planning and experimentation to uncover hidden data insights. Test and refine problems against state-of-the-art AI models to achieve target difficulty. Utilize Astrophysics & Cosmology expertise with tools like astropy for problem creation. Work independently and asynchronously to refine problem designs based on feedback. Qualifications Must-Have Graduate-level training in a relevant STEM field ( MS, PhD, or equivalent ). Proven proficiency with scientific software libraries through research or professional work. Strong Python 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/week . Preferred Experience across multiple domains or tools. Familiarity with benchmark or evaluation design. Background in scientific teaching or exam/problem-set design. Experience with computational reproducibility and containerized environm