Mercor · STEM & research
Material Science PhD Coding Experts
Listed on Mercor as “Material Science PhD Coding Experts”
What this actually is
You design problems that stump current AI models, evaluate AI reasoning against the correct answer, write rubrics, and provide expert feedback. Often the highest-paid category because the expertise pool is small. The platform title (Material Science PhD Coding Experts) reflects the rate band and the expertise required, not the day-to-day work.
Advertisement
Can you do this on your visa?
F-2 / F-4 / F-5 / F-6: open. E-1 to E-7: needs concurrent-employment permit. D-2 / D-4 students: S-3 permit, 20 hr/week cap. D-10 / D-8: case by case.
Korean tax on USD income
First 5 years in Korea: foreign-source income only taxed if remitted into Korea. After year 5: worldwide income. Full tax guide.
Original posting from Mercor
Mercor is hiring PhD and Master's scientists to author AI evaluation tasks (Sci Code)
Mercor is partnering with leading AI labs on a new benchmark for scientific computing. You will author original, executable research problems that today's frontier models cannot solve.
Domains - depth required in at least two subdomains (with a coding focus)
- Materials science - semiconductor materials, molecular modeling
What you'll do
- Source your own material: a published paper, a Kaggle dataset, an open-source repository, or a scenario you design
- Write scientific prompts based on the input
- Build the grading criteria that define a correct answer
- Calibrate against frontier models - a task ships only when strong models fail it more often than they succeed
Required
- PhD in materials science, materials engineering, applied physics, chemistry, chemical engineering, or a closely related field
- Demonstrated depth in both of the following subdomains: semiconductor materials and molecular modeling
- Working proficiency in Python, R, or another relevant programming language for scientific computing
- Comfortable with Git/GitHub and running code in Docker - authoring runs through a pull-request workflow with automated quality checks
Preferred
- Publications in peer-reviewed journals
- Prior scientific software or research engineering experience
Engagement
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Commitment: part-time, 20+ hours per week
- Start date: immediate
Process
- Upload your resume and application form
- A 25-minute conversational interview covering your background, experience, and motivations
- Follow up within a few days with next steps and onboarding
Apply today and put your research expertise to work building the next generation of scientific AI.
Quoted from Mercor’s public listing on 2026-09-08. We don’t edit platform copy; honest framing is in the title and the “what this actually is” block above.
Related AI training jobs
Mercor · STEM & research
Applied Chemistry Benchmark Specialist - review AI outputs in your specialty
$61-$77/hr · Remote · USD
Mercor · STEM & research
Applied Mathematics Benchmark Specialist - review AI outputs in your specialty
$61-$77/hr · Remote · USD
Mercor · STEM & research
Atomistic & Surface Modeling Experts (Computational Materials & Catalysis)
$84/hr · Remote · USD
Mercor · STEM & research
Bilingual Arabic STEM Expert (PhD) — AI Safety - review AI outputs in your specialty
$38-$42/hr · Remote · USD
More on this platform
About Mercor
AI-interview-based talent network. One application, voice interview with their AI, then matched to projects across coding, research, and specialist work. Pay scales with track and seniority.
Mercor review: AI-interview talent network
4.1/5 on Glassdoor, fastest-growing platform in the category (+509% YoY). What the AI video interview actually asks, real pay across coding/research/medical/legal/finance tracks ($25-$200/hr), and the project-availability problem.
See all AI training jobs
Browse by category and compare across all eight platforms we cover.