Applied Mathematics Benchmark Specialist
Mercor • Remote
Education
PhD
Type
Hourly
Pay Rate
$61–$77/hr
Listed
51d ago
Apply opens Mercor in a new tab.
Apply Now → ⚡ Boost your chances - Optimize your resume with Rezi.aiWhat We Know About This Role
- Weekly hours
- 10 hrs/week
About this role
From the Mercor listing
Role Overview
We are seeking expert mathematicians to author and review high-quality academic assessment content for an AI research initiative. You will write and verify rigorous multiple-choice questions across core mathematics domains, evaluate solution quality, and help establish gold-standard benchmarks used to advance AI capabilities.
You will be assigned one of two task types:
Question Authoring — Create original, challenging multiple-choice questions in your area of mathematical expertise, rate their difficulty, and submit them for review.
Question Verification — Review pre-written questions for accuracy, clarity, and rigor. Edit where needed, rate difficulty, and document any changes made.
Mathematics Domains Covered
Signal Processing, Financial Mathematics & Actuarial Science, Mathematical Economics, Mathematical Modeling of Ecological & Biological Systems, Mathematical Programming & Combinatorial Optimization, Geomathematics & Climate Modeling.
Key Responsibilities
Author original math questions that test deep conceptual understanding, not surface-level recall
Ensure questions are unambiguous, self-contained, and precisely defined — all necessary information must be in the problem statement
Rate each question's difficulty: Medium (intro undergraduate), Hard (advanced undergraduate), or Expert (post-graduate and above)
Provide 1 correct answer and 9 plausible but subtly incorrect alternatives that challenge expert-level solvers
Write step-by-step Chain-of-Thought solutions with clear, concise intermediate steps in markdown format
Supply 1–5 academic references per question from reputable sources (peer-reviewed journals, university repositories)
For verification tasks: flag issues with clarity, completeness, precision, or solvability and justify any edits made
Ideal Qualifications
PhD or doctoral candidate in Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, or a closely related field
Master's degree considered for candidates with exceptional depth in a specific subdomain
Strong command of graduate-level mathematical concepts and formal proof writing
Experience with rigorous academic problem design or mathematical competition writing is a strong plus
Excellent written English and ability to express complex ideas clearly and concisely
More About the Opportunity
Expected commitment: 10+ hours/week
Asynchronous, fully remote work
Requirements
- Must be eligible to work in Remote
- Fluent proficiency in English (Written & Verbal)
- Reliable high-speed internet connection
- PhD's degree or equivalent professional experience
- Demonstrated expertise in Mathematics
How long hiring takes
Across the AI training platforms we refer candidates to, the median gap between referral and hire is about 30 days. It varies by platform and role, so treat it as a rough guide for this one.
Talent Pool members
Apply through this link and we can put you forward to Mercor when your profile is a strong match. Not every applicant is submitted. If you're not in the pool yet, set up your profile first.
Set up your profile →Why this role
At $61–$77/hr, this remote Applied Mathematics Benchmark Specialist role pays competitively without asking you to relocate, interview in person, or keep fixed hours in Mathematics.
Talent pool
We're light on Mathematics candidates
We've matched 65 people with a Mathematics background against 726 Mathematics listings we've tracked, so most go out without one. Set up a profile and we'll consider you for a role like this one.
Set up your profileSkills and categories
Explore other opportunities in related specializations:
Related jobs
Browse All Jobs from Mercor
Discover more opportunities on Mercor that match your skills and interests.
View All Mercor Jobs →Verified Reviews
Community Reviews
Share your experience with Mercor
Help other candidates make better decisions by leaving a review.
Sign in to leave a reviewLeave your review
Common questions
Does Mercor's application require an on-camera interview?
Yes, every applicant records a video interview with an AI interviewer that asks questions about your resume. Clients review that recording to judge communication skills before matching, so there's no way to apply without going on camera.
Does it cost money to apply to Mercor?
No, applying and joining Mercor is free. Mercor's revenue comes from a fee it charges the client on top of your hourly rate, not from applicants. Treat any request for payment to join as a red flag.
What does task-based AI training work look like?
Practical, hands-on data work: recording short videos, categorizing images, rating text responses, or analyzing data. Tasks are designed to be short and distinct, typically 5 to 60 minutes each.
What does Mathematics work look like for an Applied Mathematics Benchmark Specialist?
Tasks here are scoped to Mathematics, not generic labeling. As an Applied Mathematics Benchmark Specialist, expect to draw on real domain judgment (evaluating outputs, correcting errors, or providing expert reasoning specific to Mathematics) rather than following a one-size-fits-all rubric. If you don't have hands-on Mathematics background, this is likely not the right listing to start with.
What specific skills does this listing call for?
English and Expert are named directly in the listing. If you don't have hands-on experience with these, expect the screening process to test for them directly rather than accepting adjacent experience as a substitute.
How many hours per week does this role require?
Based on the listing, this role is scoped at about 10 hours per week. Treat this as a real commitment expectation, not a loose estimate.
How much does this specific role pay?
This listing is posted at $61–$77/hr, an hourly rate. The range reflects experience level and negotiated terms, not a placeholder, so where you land in it depends on your background and the assessment. Pay can change between when we last checked the listing and when you apply, so confirm the current number on the platform's own application page before committing time.
What happens when I click Apply on this listing?
You'll be taken to Mercor's external site to complete your application there. This listing links through a referral, but the process is identical to applying directly; the link just routes you correctly. Create an account on their site and follow their onboarding steps.
Is a PhD required?
For this specific role, yes, or near-equivalent professional depth. The credential gate is enforced at the assessment stage, not just on paper. That said, active PhD candidates and people with equivalent published research have qualified without a formal degree. The assessment is the real filter.
How soon will I start working after applying to Mercor?
Not immediately. Mercor is a talent marketplace, not a task queue, so applying puts you in a pool of candidates. You start working only once a specific client, like a major AI lab, selects your profile, and that matching process can take weeks.