[Hiring] Drug Discovery Expert @Mercor

Role Description

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: Drug Discovery & Translational Science Expert

Type: Contract

Compensation: $70–$100/hour

Location: Remote

Commitment: 40 hours/week

Role Responsibilities

• Guide research and engineering teams to close knowledge gaps and improve AI model performance in target identification and validation, lead optimization, biomarkers, and preclinical to clinical translation.
• Design challenging, realistic discovery and translational tasks, such as target validation strategies, assay and screening cascade design, lead optimization problems, biomarker selection, and first-in-human translation scenarios.
• Write accurate, well-structured solutions.
• Evaluate AI model outputs on drug discovery and translational questions for scientific rigor, experimental design quality, and correct interpretation of data.
• Provide clear, written feedback.
• Develop guidelines and detailed rubrics to assess hypothesis quality, experimental design, and translational reasoning across tasks.
• Collaborate with other subject matter experts to ensure consistency and accuracy in training data.

Qualifications

• Must-Have:
• 7+ years of dedicated industry experience in drug discovery or translational science at a recognized, top-tier organization.
• PhD (or MD/PhD) in a relevant discipline such as biology, pharmacology, biochemistry, or chemistry.
• Hands-on experience in target identification and validation, assay development and screening, lead optimization, biomarker strategy, or preclinical to clinical translation.
• Current or most recent role at Associate Director, Principal Scientist, or Senior Manager level or above, with demonstrable career progression.
• Ability to engage reliably for at least 40 hours/week during weekdays.
• Strong written communication skills and the ability to explain complex scientific reasoning clearly.
• Preferred:
• Experience with AI training or evaluation work, or hands-on use of AI tools in discovery or translational research.

Requirements

• W-2 employment with Cincinnatus LLC.

Application Process

• Upload resume
• AI interview based on your resume
• Submit form

Resources & Support

• For details about the interview process and platform information, please check: https://talent.docs.mercor.com/welcome
• For any help or support, reach out to: [email protected]
• PS: Our team reviews applications daily. Please complete your AI interview and application steps to be considered for this opportunity.