Data Scientist Talent Network
Listing checked August 29, 2026 · pay as published by Mercor
Overview
Mercor is assembling a network of experienced data scientists for potential future engagements with leading AI research organizations. These projects center on evaluating how effectively AI systems perform real-world data science tasks. By joining this talent pool, you position yourself for high-impact, well-compensated opportunities as they arise.
What You'll Do5
- 1Develop precise, task-specific rubrics for assessing data science deliverables such as exploratory analyses, statistical models, machine learning pipelines, A/B tests, feature engineering, and technical notebooks.
- 2Evaluate submissions from AI systems or human contributors against the defined scoring criteria.
- 3Provide detailed written explanations to justify each evaluation and score.
- 4Apply consistent, evidence-based judgment to ensure assessments are reproducible and defensible.
- 5Incorporate structured feedback from senior reviewers and iterate on evaluation work as needed.
Requirements6
- 1At least one year of professional experience in data science.
- 2Experience at a top technology, research, or quantitative firm (e.g., FAANG, AI labs, leading quantitative funds).
- 3Strong proficiency in Python, SQL, statistical modeling, machine learning, experimentation, and causal inference.
- 4Excellent written communication skills for translating technical findings clearly.
- 5A detail-oriented, consistent approach to evaluating complex analytical work.
- 6Comfort receiving feedback and calibrating your judgment against established standards.
Who Should Apply
This opportunity is for data scientists who enjoy applying analytical rigor to evaluate the quality of data science work. You are comfortable designing objective scoring criteria, providing clear justifications, and maintaining consistency across assessments. You are excited about contributing to the advancement of AI by ensuring its outputs meet high standards of reproducibility and accuracy.
Salary Insight
The expected hourly rate ranges from $100 to $150, depending on the project and scope.
Pay and demand for Data Engineering roles
AggregatedTypical pay
$70/hour
This role
$100–$150/hr
Most Data Engineering roles pay $42–$96 per hour. This role's pay sits above that range.
Based on 1,105 similar roles that publish pay · 304 publish only a top rate; those count at the rate they gave
Rates shown per hour. Yearly and monthly pay converted; one-time fees and non-USD pay are not included.
- Live similar roles
- 1,266
- Listed in last 30 days
- 683
- Remote
- 97%
Hiring most right now: micro1 (378) · SME Careers (255) · Mercor (164)
Most requested skills · share of roles
- ai evaluation12%
- ai training12%
- llm evaluation11%
- data annotation9%
Figures from Data Engineering roles live on NearSkill when this page loaded. A role can close before you apply, so check the listing itself.
Compare your resume against these rolesLocation
Compensation
$100–150/hr
Required Skills
Application Tip
To stand out in this talent network, include examples of how you’ve designed evaluation rubrics or assessed AI-generated data science outputs in past work. Highlight any experience with reproducible scoring frameworks or calibration exercises.
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