Astronomy Expert - Remote | $80/hr

About The Job

Mercor

Benchmark

General Catalyst

Peter Thiel

Adam D'Angelo

Larry Summers

Jack Dorsey

Position:

Type:

Independent contractor

Compensation:

$60–$80/hour

Location:

Remote

Duration:

~2 months

Commitment:

20–40 hours/week

Role Responsibilities

• Write original and advanced IAO-style astronomy problems to challenge frontier AI models.
• Evaluate AI-generated solutions for correctness, clarity, and reasoning quality, identifying where models fail.
• Identify logical flaws, incomplete reasoning, or insufficiently rigorous derivations.
• Provide clear, concise, and correct solutions and reasoning, formatted in LaTeX.
• Maintain extremely high standards of precision, scientific rigor, and problem difficulty.
  

Qualifications

Must-Have

• Highly proficient in writing and formatting documents using LaTeX.
• Experience as an Olympiad medalist, problem setter, coach, or selection committee member in IAO or equivalent competitions (RAO, CAO, IAO TST, AAO, EuAO, USAAO, BAO, INAO, JAO, UAC, IAYPT, CAUT, etc.).
• Deep understanding of core theoretical and observational concepts in astronomy and astrophysics.
• Ability to articulate reasoning and derivations clearly in written form.
• Strong ability to evaluate the rigor and complexity of astronomy problems.
• Rigorous attention to detail in verifying solutions.
  

Start Date

• Rolling start dates; setup typically within 1–2 days of approval.
  

Compensation & Legal

• Independent contractor engagement.
• Payments issued weekly via Stripe Connect.
  

Application Process (Takes 20–30 mins to complete)

• Submit your resume or CV highlighting your astronomy background and relevant achievements.
• Complete a brief interview (20–30 minutes).
• Submit a short form detailing your experience writing problems and competing in astronomy or related Olympiads.
  

Resources & Support

• For details about the interview process and platform information, please check: https://talent.docs.mercor.com/welcome/welcome
• For any help or support, reach out to: support@mercor.com