Chemistry Research Collaborator at Mercor

Chemistry Research Collaborator (Part-Time) | $80–110/hr | Worldwide Remote

Join a select cohort of accomplished chemistry researchers contributing to the next generation of AI systems for scientific reasoning. Our partner AI labs are developing frontier models that reason at the level of a working researcher — covering organic synthesis, catalysis, chemical biology, computational chemistry, materials science, and more. This role is placed within a leading AI lab as part of their extended workforce.

What You'll Do

• Review and evaluate research papers in chemistry for correctness, novelty, and scientific significance
• Author and review challenging chemistry problems used to train and evaluate frontier AI models
• Evaluate model outputs on tasks such as retrosynthesis, mechanism prediction, spectral interpretation, and literature reasoning
• Identify failure modes in current models — particularly errors a working PhD chemist would immediately recognize
• Collaborate with a small program team and other senior research contributors

Qualifications

We're looking for researchers who meet several of the following criteria:

• First-author or co-first-author publications in top journals such as JACS, Nature Chemistry, Science, Angewandte Chemie, ACS Catalysis, Chemical Reviews, or similar
• Doctorate or postdoctoral training from a top-20 global institution in chemistry or a related STEM field
• Competitive fellowship recipient (e.g., NSF GRFP, Hertz, Sloan, Marie Curie, NIH F32, Fulbright, Rhodes, or similar)
• Issued patents, a spin-out company, or grants held as a named PI or Co-Investigator
• International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) medal recipient
• Current or recent active research experience as a PhD candidate, postdoc, faculty member, or industry researcher

Outstanding senior PhD students and recent graduates with strong publication records are strongly encouraged to apply. Depth of research output matters more than years of experience.

Engagement Details

• Commitment: Part-time, up to 20 hours per week
• Compensation: $80–$110/hr, reflecting research seniority and credentials
• Employment: W-2 employment administered by Cincinnatus LLC (employer of record)