Life Sciences Research Scientist (PhD): Wet Lab & Computational Biology

$45–90/hr

rate as listed

Workload: ~15h/week
Engagement: Project-based
Location: Worldwide
Field: Sciences

Create expert-level life sciences problems, reference answers, and evaluation rubrics for training AI systems. Review model outputs using both experimental and computational research judgment, with particular attention to subtle scientific errors.

The work

This contractor role focuses on designing challenging life sciences problems with clear, verifiable solutions. Day to day, you may assess experimental designs, computational pipelines, or biological interpretations; review AI outputs for accuracy and rigor; and write reference answers and grading rubrics grounded in primary literature and established methodology.

Scientific scope and screening

Relevant areas include genomics, transcriptomics, single-cell and spatial omics, epigenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, microbiome and metagenomics, structural biology, drug discovery, systems biology, and clinical or translational research. The platform is likely to screen for a completed relevant PhD, hands-on laboratory research, command of specific methods, evidence-backed reasoning, and the ability to identify errors that a non-specialist might overlook. Professional written and spoken English (C1 or higher) is required.

Practical details

The position is remote worldwide and structured as contractor work. The listing does not specify whether assignments are asynchronous or state typical weekly hours, so candidates should be ready to give realistic availability and clarify scheduling during screening. Work is subject to iterative feedback and peer review.

Pay band: $45–90/hr

What they look for

computational chemistry
molecular simulations
python
gaussian
gromacs
lammps
amber
orca
psi4
cheminformatics
electronic structure methods
scientific software configuration
molecular dynamics
drug discovery
ai/ml-assisted chemistry workflows
quantitative analysis
analytical reasoning
scientific programming
written communication
verbal communication
documentation
problem-solving

Included with this listing

Interview prep — 10 questions

Matched to what this platform's screening actually measures. Answer each out loud in 60–90 seconds: claim → concrete example → implication.

What it tests: This tests whether the claimed PhD work can be described through a precise hypothesis, personal ownership, methods, results, and limitations rather than broad lab-level summaries.
A strong answer: State the biological question, your own experimental or analytical responsibilities, the principal finding, and one limitation that affected interpretation. Distinguish clearly between work you performed and work contributed by collaborators.
Where people lose it: Candidates lose points by describing the lab's research area without identifying their own decisions, experiments, analyses, or findings.

Summary, eligibility guidance and screening preparation are prepared by Sidequest from the platform's posting. Check the source listing before applying.