PhD Physicist, AI Expert (Remote, US)

This role is for one of our clients

Compensation: $90-$140 per hour

Employment Type: Contract (Independent Contractor)
Location: Remote (United States)
Work Arrangement: Fully Remote, Flexible Schedule

Job Overview

We are seeking highly experienced PhD Physicists and senior research professionals to contribute their scientific expertise to the development, evaluation, and advancement of next-generation Artificial Intelligence (AI) models.

In this role, you will work alongside leading AI researchers to assess how advanced AI models understand and reason about complex physics concepts and real-world scientific problems. You will leverage your research experience and specialized domain knowledge to evaluate physics-related tasks, develop rigorous problem specifications, create reference solutions, and design challenging benchmarks that measure the scientific reasoning capabilities of AI systems.

The ideal candidate will be an established physicist with a strong academic or research background, deep specialization in at least one area of physics, and hands-on experience using large language models (LLMs).

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

• Expert Evaluation: Review physics-related tasks and AI-generated outputs for scientific accuracy, logical consistency, and mathematical rigor.
• Identify flawed derivations, unjustified assumptions, inappropriate approximations, dimensional inconsistencies, and errors in boundary or limiting cases.
• Problem Design: Develop precise, research-level physics problem statements and detailed specifications that reflect real-world scientific challenges.
• Reference Solutions: Create rigorous reference solutions, demonstrating correct scientific reasoning, mathematical derivations, and appropriate methodologies.
• Benchmark Development: Design complex physics problems and evaluation datasets within your area of specialization to assess and improve AI model performance.
• Scientific Assessment: Evaluate AI-generated reasoning and distinguish scientifically valid arguments from responses that appear convincing but contain conceptual or mathematical errors.
• Research Collaboration: Work with AI researchers and subject matter experts across related disciplines to establish clear evaluation standards and measurable quality criteria.
• Feedback & Calibration: Translate specialized scientific knowledge and expert judgment into structured feedback and evaluation frameworks that improve AI reasoning capabilities.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Physics, Astrophysics, Applied Physics, or a closely related discipline.
• Senior-level academic or research experience, such as:
• Faculty appointment at a recognized university.
• Principal Investigator (PI).
• Staff Scientist or Senior Scientist.
• Equivalent senior research position at a university, national laboratory, or established research organization.
• Deep specialization in at least one of the following physics domains:
• Condensed Matter Physics.
• High-Energy Physics / Particle Physics.
• Astrophysics and Cosmology.
• Atomic, Molecular, and Optical (AMO) Physics.
• Quantum Physics.
• Statistical Physics.
• Computational Physics.
• Applied Physics.
• Strong peer-reviewed research publication record.
• Recognition through competitive research fellowships, academic awards, grants, or other scientific achievements is an added advantage.
• Hands-on experience using Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI tools in research or scientific workflows.
• Ability to critically evaluate AI-generated scientific arguments, mathematical derivations, and technical explanations.
• Excellent written communication skills with the ability to develop precise problem statements and structured technical feedback.
• Must be currently based in the United States.

Contract & Payment Terms

• Engagement will be on an independent contractor basis.
• The position is fully remote and offers flexibility to complete assignments according to your own schedule and project requirements.
• Project timelines may be extended, shortened, or concluded early depending on business requirements and individual performance.
• The engagement will not require access to confidential or proprietary information belonging to any current or former employer, client, university, or research institution.
• Payments will be processed weekly through Stripe or Wise based on services rendered.
• H-1B and STEM OPT visa holders cannot be accommodated for this opportunity.