[Hiring] Applied Physicist (AI Benchmarking) @24-MAG

Role Description

We are sharing a specialised part-time consulting opportunity for physicists and scientific researchers with advanced expertise in applied physics, mathematical modelling, experimental analysis, or computational physics. This role supports an AI research initiative focused on developing rigorous physics benchmarks. Selected experts will author or verify challenging multiple-choice assessment content, evaluate scientific accuracy and solution quality, develop well-supported reference solutions, and help establish high-quality evaluation standards for advanced AI systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Physics Question Authoring
  • Create original multiple-choice questions that test deep physical understanding rather than surface-level recall.
  • Develop challenging problems within relevant areas of physics expertise.
  • Ensure questions are self-contained, precise, unambiguous, and independently solvable.
  • Design questions appropriate for undergraduate, advanced undergraduate, and postgraduate difficulty levels.
  • Produce one correct answer alongside nine plausible and carefully constructed distractors.
• Question Verification & Scientific Review
  • Review pre-written physics questions for correctness, clarity, rigour, and completeness.
  • Identify conceptual errors, hidden assumptions, mathematical mistakes, or solvability issues.
  • Edit questions and answer choices where required.
  • Verify calculations, derivations, physical reasoning, and designated correct answers.
  • Document substantive changes and explain the scientific reasoning behind them.
• Semiconductor Physics & Nanoelectronics
  • Develop assessment content involving semiconductor physics, electronic materials, and device behaviour.
  • Create problems addressing charge transport, band structure, junctions, and semiconductor phenomena.
  • Develop questions involving nanoelectronics and nanoscale physical systems.
  • Apply physical reasoning to device-performance and materials scenarios.
  • Evaluate theoretical and quantitative models of semiconductor systems.
• Spintronics & Quantum Technologies
  • Create rigorous questions involving spin transport, magnetic phenomena, and spin-based devices.
  • Develop content relating to quantum sensing and precision measurement.
  • Apply quantum mechanical principles to sensing and metrology problems.
  • Evaluate noise, sensitivity, measurement limits, and quantum-system behaviour.
  • Design problems requiring integration of mathematical formalism with physical interpretation.
• Photonics, Quantum Optics & Ultrafast Physics
  • Develop questions involving light–matter interaction, photonic systems, and optical phenomena.
  • Create problems addressing quantum optics, coherence, interference, and photon behaviour.
  • Apply physical principles to ultrafast optical processes and time-dependent phenomena.
  • Evaluate experimental and theoretical optical configurations.
  • Design quantitative problems requiring careful interpretation of optical measurements.
• Plasma Physics & Fusion Energy
  • Develop assessment content involving plasma behaviour and fusion-energy systems.
  • Create problems involving confinement, transport, stability, and plasma dynamics.
  • Apply electromagnetic, kinetic, and fluid descriptions of plasma systems where appropriate.
  • Evaluate assumptions and physical constraints within fusion scenarios.
  • Develop questions requiring advanced quantitative and conceptual reasoning.
• Nonlinear Dynamics & Turbulence
  • Create problems involving nonlinear systems, dynamical behaviour, and instability.
  • Develop assessment content addressing chaos, bifurcations, turbulence, and complex physical systems.
  • Evaluate mathematical models and their physical interpretations.
  • Apply scaling, stability, and dynamical-systems reasoning.
  • Distinguish physically valid conclusions from plausible but incorrect alternatives.
• Geophysics & Reservoir Simulation
  • Develop questions involving geophysical processes and subsurface systems.
  • Create problems addressing transport, flow, geological structures, and reservoir behaviour.
  • Apply mathematical and computational models to geophysical scenarios.
  • Evaluate simulation assumptions, boundary conditions, and parameter effects.
  • Interpret quantitative outputs within realistic Earth-science and reservoir contexts.
• Academic Research & Benchmark Quality
  • Provide 1–5 academic references per question where required.
  • Use reputable sources such as peer-reviewed journals, academic publications, and university repositories.
  • Develop clear, structured solution explanations supporting the correct answer.
  • Rate question difficulty according to defined Medium, Hard, and Expert standards.
  • Help maintain consistent scientific and academic quality across benchmark content.
  • Contribute to gold-standard evaluation materials used to assess advanced AI capabilities.

Qualifications

• PhD or current doctoral candidacy in Physics, Applied Physics, Astrophysics, or a closely related discipline.
• Master's degree may be considered for candidates with exceptional expertise in a relevant physics subdomain.
• Strong command of graduate-level physics and mathematical formalism.
• Expertise in one or more areas including Semiconductor Physics, Nanoelectronics, Spintronics, Photonics, Quantum Optics, Ultrafast Physics, Quantum Sensing, Plasma Physics, Fusion Energy, Nonlinear Dynamics, Turbulence, Geophysics, or Reservoir Simulation.
• Strong ability to construct and verify rigorous quantitative and conceptual physics problems.
• Excellent written English and ability to communicate complex physical concepts clearly and precisely.
• Academic research publications are highly valued.
• Experience with experimental, theoretical, or computational physics research is advantageous.
• Experience with physics olympiad writing, examination development, or advanced problem design is highly valued.
• Strong attention to mathematical precision, physical consistency, and problem solvability.

Engagement Details

• Part-time independent contractor engagement.
• Fully remote and asynchronous.
• Expected availability of at least 10 hours per week.
• Flexible scheduling based on project requirements.
• Compensation: $50–$70/hour.
• Contributors may be assigned either question-authoring or question-verification workstreams.
• Projects may be extended, shortened, or concluded based on project needs and performance.
• Work must be completed without using confidential or proprietary information belonging to any employer, client, institution, or other third party.
• H1-B and STEM OPT support is unavailable for this engagement.