Astrophysics Researcher

About the position

About the job Mercor connects elite creative and technical talent with leading AI research labs. Headquartered in San Francisco, our investors include Benchmark , General Catalyst , Peter Thiel , Adam D'Angelo , Larry Summers , and Jack Dorsey . Position: Astronomy Expert Type: Contract Compensation: $60–$80/hour Location: Remote Duration: ~2 months Commitment: 20–40 hours/week Role Responsibilities Write original and advanced IAO-style astronomy problems to challenge frontier AI models. Evaluate AI-generated solutions for correctness, clarity, and reasoning quality. Identify where models fail. Identify logical flaws, incomplete reasoning, or insufficiently rigorous derivations. Provide clear, concise, and correct solutions and reasoning , formatted in LaTeX . Maintain extremely high standards of precision, scientific rigor, and problem difficulty. Work independently and asynchronously to meet deadlines while improving AI model performance . Qualifications Must-Have Master’s or PhD in astronomy or a related field. Experience as an Olympiad participant or medalist in the IAO or equivalent competitions. Proficiency in writing and formatting documents using LaTeX . Deep understanding of core theoretical and observational concepts in astronomy and astrophysics. Ability to articulate reasoning and derivations clearly in written form. Strong ability to evaluate the rigor and complexity of astronomy problems. Rigorous attention to detail in verifying solutions. Start Date Rolling start dates; setup typically within 1–2 days of approval . Application Process (Takes 20–30 mins to complete) Submit your resume or CV highlighting your astronomy background and relevant achievements. Complete a brief interview (20–30 minutes) . Submit a short form detailing your experience writing problems and competing in astronomy or related Olympiads. Resources & Support For details about the interview process and platform information, please check: https://talent.docs.mercor.com/welcome/welcome For any help or support, reach out to: support@mercor.com PS: Our team reviews applications daily. Please complete your AI interview and application steps to be considered for this opportunity.

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