Computational Structural & Mechanical Engineering Expert | $70-$85/hr Remote
Overview
We're hiring a computational structural and mechanical engineering expert to design challenging, graduate-level problems for evaluating advanced AI systems. In this role, you'll create original scientific workflows that force AI to genuinely use engineering software—running simulations, interpreting results, and planning experiments—rather than just pattern matching. You'll work with a stack of open-source tools like FEniCSx/DOLFINx, OpenFOAM, and MOOSE, and you'll iterate against cutting-edge AI models to fine-tune problem difficulty. This is a remote, hourly contract that rewards deep technical expertise and puzzle-design thinking.
What You'll Do5
- 1Design original computational problems that require advanced, multi-step workflows in specialized scientific software.
- 2Craft harder problems where the AI must strategically plan queries or experiments to extract hidden information from limited results.
- 3Run each problem through a testing loop with state-of-the-art AI models, analyzing failures and refining the setup until the difficulty is calibrated.
- 4Write problem definitions, oracle functions, and solution validators using Python to ensure correctness and reproducibility.
- 5Develop problems across areas like finite-element analysis, CFD, structural mechanics, and multiphysics simulation, tailoring them to the listed open-source libraries.
Requirements5
- 1Graduate-level training (MS, PhD, or equivalent research experience) in a relevant STEM field such as mechanical engineering, civil engineering, or applied mathematics.
- 2Hands-on proficiency with at least one of the listed scientific software libraries—e.g., FEniCSx, OpenFOAM, deal.II, or CalculiX—demonstrated through publications, open-source contributions, or professional projects.
- 3Strong Python skills for writing simulation setups, oracles, and validators, plus comfort in a Linux/terminal environment with remote compute sandboxes.
- 4Ability to work independently, take feedback, and iteratively refine problem designs to hit a target difficulty.
- 5Availability to dedicate 15–20 hours per week to the project.
Who Should Apply
You're a hands-on engineer with deep theoretical knowledge and real code-level experience in computational mechanics or structural analysis. You've built and debugged simulations with tools like FEniCSx or OpenFOAM, so you know their edge cases and failure modes. You think like a puzzle designer—enjoying problems that reward insight and rigorous reasoning over brute force. If you're comfortable working autonomously and take pride in crafting elegant, hard-scientific questions, this is for you.
Salary Insight
$70–$85 per hour, paid for remote hourly work.
Location
Required Skills
Application Tip
Choose one project where you used a listed simulation library to solve a tricky structural or fluid problem, and explain the most unexpected numerical hurdle you encountered. Include a link to your code or a detailed write-up—it'll demonstrate the depth and debugging experience this role demands.
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