Chemistry PhD Coding Experts | $70/hr Remote
Listing checked September 9, 2026 · pay as published by Mercor
Overview
Mercor recruits PhD chemists to author challenging problems for cutting-edge AI models. Over six weeks, you'll build a new benchmark for scientific computing that tests where today's models stumble. Your work centers on quantum chemistry and computational chemistry, with you selecting source material from papers, datasets, or your own ideas. You'll turn that into executable prompts and define grading rules so each answer is unequivocally right or wrong. Then you'll iterate against frontier models until they fail more often than they succeed, earning $70 per hour as you shape future AI.
What You'll Do5
- 1Find or create a source base from a published paper, an open dataset, or your own computational experiment.
- 2Write scientific prompts that are unambiguous and precise, forcing a model to apply real chemical reasoning.
- 3Design a grading rubric that separates correct answers from partial or flawed ones without ambiguity.
- 4Run your tasks against leading AI models, tweaking the problem until models fail at least as often as they pass.
- 5Submit each completed task through a Git pull request, following automated quality controls and integrating reviewer suggestions.
Requirements4
- 1PhD in chemistry, physical chemistry, theoretical chemistry, or a closely related field.
- 2Hands-on expertise in both quantum chemistry and computational chemistry, backed by research experience.
- 3Working proficiency in Python, R, or another scientific computing language.
- 4Comfort with Git and GitHub for version control, plus practical use of Docker for reproducible code.
Who Should Apply
This role fits a researcher who runs calculations and writes code daily, not someone who only knows theory conceptually. Your past work should show you designing simulations, analyzing molecular data, and committing code to repositories. Chemists whose focus stayed purely experimental, or who lack hands-on depth in both quantum and computational chemistry, will struggle with the tasks. Many applicants get filtered out because they cannot demonstrate real coding in Docker or because their familiarity with these subdomains comes from coursework, not publications. Come with a portfolio of scripts and papers proving you can build executable problems that stump the best AI.
Salary Insight
The contract pays a fixed $70 per hour, which stands well above the typical range for PhD-level part-time research work. With the required 20+ hours per week, this means a solid income over the six-week engagement. The rate reflects the high value placed on your skill to design challenges that even frontier models fail.
Location
Compensation
$70/hr
Required Skills
Application Tip
In your application, highlight specific code you have written for chemistry, complete with GitHub links and details on how you used Docker. Show measurable outcomes, such as reducing computational time by a specific factor or improving accuracy in a simulation, so reviewers see you can build executable benchmarks.
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2Screened before the employer sees it
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3Outcome by email
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