Life Sciences Domain Expert at Mercor

Life Sciences Domain Expert | $65–105/hr | Hybrid – Bay Area, CA

Join a leading AI lab's GenAI team as a senior Biochemistry & Life Sciences Domain Expert, where your scientific expertise directly shapes the development of frontier AI models. This is a full-time, hybrid W-2 position employed through Cincinnatus LLC, embedded within a top-tier AI research team in the Bay Area.

What You'll Do

• Data QA & Review: Evaluate the quality of life sciences knowledge tasks and model outputs, identifying weak reasoning, unsupported causal claims, and answers that wouldn't survive peer review.
• Instruction Specs & Golden Datasets: Write high-quality instruction specs, produce authoritative golden solutions, and define new tasks that reflect real-world research practices.
• Benchmarks & Evaluation: Design rigorous life sciences evaluation sets and help build domain-specific skills and tools alongside the research team.
• Calibration: Collaborate with researchers and adjacent specialists to translate tacit scientific judgment into explicit, teachable criteria.

Who You Are

• Education: PhD in biochemistry, molecular/cell biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, or a closely related life science discipline.
• Experience: 4+ years of substantive research experience at a recognized institution (university, academic medical center, national lab, or industrial research org).
• Domain Depth: Genuine specialization in at least one area — molecular/cell biology, structural biology, immunology, genomics, neuroscience, or systems biology.
• Seniority: Clear progression to a senior level (Senior Scientist, Staff Scientist, PI, faculty, etc.) with real ownership of research direction.
• Research Record: Peer-reviewed publications, ideally including first-author work in strong journals (strongly preferred).
• AI Fluency: Hands-on use of large language models in professional work, with the judgment to distinguish well-reasoned answers from plausible-sounding errors.
• Communication: Excellent written communication with the ability to deliver precise, well-structured scientific feedback.

Logistics

• Location: Must reside in the Bay Area, CA. On-site presence required multiple days per week. Relocation assistance is not provided.
• Commitment: 40 hours per week for an initial 6-month engagement.
• Employment: Full-time W-2 through Cincinnatus LLC, with client-issued accounts and equipment provided.

Cincinnatus LLC is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer committed to an inclusive workplace for all qualified individuals.