STEM PhDs and Technical Domain Experts

$60–120/hr

rate as listed

Workload: ~15h/week
Engagement: Project-based
Location: Location not stated
Field: Sciences

Create difficult, technically sound problems in your STEM domain to support large language model development. Mercor is seeking advanced-degree holders or technical experts with equivalent industry experience in specified science and engineering fields.

What the work involves

You will contribute subject matter expertise to a project for an AI lab by creating difficult problems in your domain. The work is intended to produce high-quality data for state-of-the-art large language models, so problems should be technically correct, appropriately challenging, clearly written and detailed enough to withstand expert review.

Relevant backgrounds

Mercor is seeking candidates with a PhD, another advanced degree or equivalent industry experience in one of these domains: Medicine / Healthcare, Statistics and Data Science, AI / ML Research, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Earth & Environmental Science, Game Development or Mechanical / Aerospace Engineering. The platform also looks for attention to detail and strong written and verbal communication.

Screening

The screening process includes a short interview and task expected to take 20-30 minutes. Expect to provide verifiable details about your technical background, explain difficult concepts under follow-up and demonstrate how you distinguish a challenging but valid problem from one that is merely obscure, underspecified or incorrect.

Practical details

Applicants are currently accepted only from the U.S., UK, AUS, NZ and Canada. The listing does not specify whether the project is remote, whether work is asynchronous or the typical weekly hours. The platform listing shows the following observed band, not a guarantee:

Pay band: $60–120/hr

What they look for

PhD, advanced degree or equivalent industry experience in an eligible STEM domain
Deep subject matter expertise sufficient to create difficult domain problems
Precise technical problem formulation
High attention to detail
Strong written communication
Strong verbal communication

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 establishes whether your degree, research record or industry work supports genuine expertise in one of the project's named domains.
A strong answer: Name one primary domain, the relevant degree or equivalent industry path, and specific research, products, systems, publications or responsibilities that can be verified. Clarify your personal contribution rather than relying on a team or employer name.
Where people lose it: Candidates lose credibility by naming several broad fields without showing sustained work or a clear individual contribution in any one of them.

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