Biochemistry & Life Sciences Domain Expert
Listing checked August 29, 2026 · pay as published by Mercor
Overview
Your day-to-day centers on making frontier AI models reason correctly about real research workflows in biochemistry and life sciences. You will review task quality and model outputs, write instruction specs and golden solutions, and design benchmarks that track model improvement. This is a full-time W-2 role with Cincinnatus LLC, embedded with a leading AI lab's research team in the Bay Area. You will work on-site multiple days per week using client-issued tools and accounts, so local presence is non-negotiable.
What You'll Do4
- 1Vet life sciences knowledge work tasks and model outputs for thin reasoning, unsupported causal claims, and answers that look plausible but would not survive peer review.
- 2Write detailed instruction specs that define what correct output looks like, then produce golden solutions for a range of life sciences problems.
- 3Design new tasks and evaluation sets that mirror how research is actually performed, and collaborate with researchers to build domain-specific tools and skills.
- 4Work with client researchers and adjacent-domain specialists to align scoring standards and turn tacit scientific judgment into explicit, teachable criteria.
Requirements8
- 1PhD in biochemistry, molecular or cell biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, or a closely related life science field.
- 24+ years of substantive research experience at a recognized institution like a research university, academic medical center, national lab, or industrial research organization; graduate coursework alone does not count.
- 3Deep specialization in at least one area: molecular and cell biology, biochemistry and structural biology, immunology and immuno-oncology, genetics and genomics, neuroscience, or systems biology.
- 4Senior-level track record (Senior Scientist, Staff Scientist, Research Scientist, Instructor, Principal Investigator, or faculty) with real ownership of research direction.
- 5Peer-reviewed publications, ideally first-author work in strong journals, strongly preferred.
- 6Hands-on experience using large language models in your professional work and the ability to distinguish well-reasoned answers from confident-sounding nonsense.
- 7Reliable availability for 40 hours per week for an initial 6-month engagement, plus willingness to work on-site in the Bay Area multiple days per week; relocation at your own cost if not local.
- 8Excellent written communication with the ability to deliver precise, structured feedback.
Who Should Apply
Practicing scientists with a PhD and at least 4 years of research experience who already use large language models in their daily workflow will fit well. The role demands senior-level ownership, so early-career researchers who have never set a research direction or published first-author work will struggle. Candidates who cannot work on-site in the Bay Area several days per week should not apply. Typical mismatches include a strong academic record but no hands-on LLM experience, or domain expertise without peer-reviewed evidence of impact.
Salary Insight
Pay is $65.00 to $105.00 per hour on a W-2 basis. That range aligns with senior PhD-level life sciences expertise and reflects the expectation that you bring an established publication record plus specialized domain knowledge.
Pay and demand for AI Training roles
AggregatedTypical pay
$70/hour
This role
$65–$105/hr
Most AI Training roles pay $40–$95 per hour. This role's pay falls inside that range.
Based on 966 similar roles that publish pay · 301 publish only a top rate; those count at the rate they gave
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Compensation
$65–105/hr
Required Skills
Application Tip
In your application, name the specific domain you specialize in and show one concrete example where you used an LLM to produce or evaluate scientific work, because this role needs both deep domain authority and hands-on AI fluency.
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