Materials Science and Engineering Expert (Remote)
Listing checked September 22, 2026 · pay as published by AfterQuery
Overview
AfterQuery hires materials scientists and engineers to write the scenario sets that frontier AI labs use to gauge how well models reason about real engineering decisions. Your work covers the full arc of a materials problem, from picking a candidate material through to diagnosing why a part failed in service. Each scenario needs a reference answer that lays out the structure-property logic behind the call, and you also review what models produce, catching answers that sound reasonable but would not hold up in practice. Engagement runs as a contract at roughly 10 hours per week, done fully remote and async, with metals, polymers, ceramics or semiconductors as the depth area you bring.
What You'll Do9
- 1Draft materials scenarios that move from initial material selection to a documented failure analysis.
- 2Produce reference answers that spell out the structure-property reasoning behind each recommendation.
- 3Review model responses for technical accuracy and whether the proposed fix works in real service conditions.
- 4Mark outputs that read as credible but break down under actual loading, temperature or environmental exposure.
- 5Document your own materials reasoning in clear written English so reviewers can follow each judgment call.
- 6Cover at least one materials class in depth across the scenarios you author, such as metals, polymers, ceramics or semiconductors.
- 7Apply characterization evidence, including SEM, XRD or DSC data, when a scenario calls for it.
- 8Keep to the weekly hours you commit to and deliver scenarios on the schedule you set.
- 9Raise edge cases where a model's answer is ambiguous or where multiple materials could plausibly fit.
Requirements8
- 1Degree in materials science and engineering or a field closely tied to it.
- 2Two or more years of professional materials engineering or R&D work.
- 3Recognized depth in one materials class: metals, polymers, ceramics or semiconductors.
- 4Written English strong enough to explain materials reasoning without ambiguity.
- 5Availability of at least 10 hours each week for contract work.
- 6Preferred: an advanced degree or peer reviewed publications in the field.
- 7Preferred: hands-on characterization experience with tools like SEM, XRD or DSC.
- 8Preferred: background in failure analysis or process qualification.
Who Should Apply
The strongest fit is an engineer or researcher with a materials degree and at least two years of hands-on R&D or engineering work, plus deep familiarity with one materials class and the characterization tools behind it. Candidates who have run failure analyses or qualified processes tend to move fast here, because they can spot an answer that would collapse in service. Advanced degrees and published work help, though they are not required. This role suits people who want 10 focused hours a week of independent technical writing and grading, not those seeking a full-time staff position with a team and a manager. Applicants often lose footing by writing scenarios that stay at textbook level, skipping the structure-property chain that ties a selection to a service outcome. Another common miss is vague reasoning in the reference answer, which makes the grading call impossible to defend.
Salary Insight
Pay runs from $100 to $130 per hour, with weekly disbursement through Stripe. That band sits at the higher end for part-time contract work in materials engineering, and it typically matches people with several years of R&D depth plus a specialization, rather than early-career applicants.
Pay and demand for Sales Engineering & Solutions Consulting roles
AggregatedTypical pay
$76/hour
This role
$100–$130/hr
Most Sales Engineering & Solutions Consulting roles pay $60–$96 per hour. This role's pay sits above that range.
Based on 182 similar roles that publish pay · 21 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
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- Listed in last 30 days
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Most requested skills · share of roles
- technical writing15%
- python10%
- electrical engineering9%
- mechanical engineering9%
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Compensation
$100–130/hr
Required Skills
Application Tip
In your application, name the one materials class you know deepest and pair it with a concrete example, such as a failure you diagnosed or a process you qualified, including the characterization method that supported the conclusion. That pairing of domain depth and evidence is what separates strong candidates from those who only list coursework.
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