Materials Science Expert
Micro1 • Remote
Education
PhD
Type
Per task
Pay Rate
$80–$150/task
Actively Hiring
100 openings
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From the Micro1 listing
Materials Science Expert
Pay: $80–$150/hour Location: Global, fully remote Job Type: Contractor (~15 hours per week) Schedule: Flexible—you choose the hours and days you work, including weekends if desired We are looking for a highly skilled Materials Science Expert to contribute to an AI training project involving computational materials science, materials modeling, scientific simulation, and Python. The work involves creating, solving, reviewing, and validating engineering tasks related to material structures, properties, processing, performance, and failure. A representative task may require constructing a material or atomic model, configuring and running a simulation, calculating relevant properties, analyzing the resulting outputs, and determining whether the solution is computationally valid and physically meaningful.
This is a very coding heavy role. Candidates but have experience using coding agents with python in their workflow.
What You’ll Work On
- Solve and validate computational materials-science and materials-engineering problems.
- Create material structures, atomic configurations, compositions, and solver-ready inputs.
- Model relationships between composition, structure, processing, properties, and performance.
- Run atomistic, electronic-structure, molecular-dynamics, continuum, electrochemical, or related simulations.
- Use Python to generate inputs, automate calculations, conduct parameter sweeps, process results, and validate outputs.
Required Qualifications
- An MS or PhD in Materials Science and Engineering, Metallurgy, or a closely related discipline; or
- An MS or PhD in Mechanical Engineering or Chemical Engineering with a substantial materials specialization.
- Strong understanding of materials behavior and relevant structure-property relationships.
- Experience with computational materials modeling, simulation, characterization, or materials-focused engineering analysis.
- Experience using coding agents and Python. Relevant tools may include LAMMPS, ASE, pymatgen, Quantum ESPRESSO, FEniCSx, CalculiX, Elmer, PyBaMM, or similar programmatic materials and simulation software. Experience with an equivalent CLI-accessible tool is acceptable. Relevant Python tools may include NumPy, SciPy, pandas, Matplotlib, Jupyter, atomistic modeling packages, materials informatics libraries, or domain-specific scientific tools. No single library is mandatory. Experience may come from academic research, national laboratories, industry R&D, computational engineering, or other demonstrated materials work.
Process
- Apply to the role and complete the screening questions.
- Complete an AI interview of approximately 30 minutes.
- Complete the hiring manager review.
Compensation Structure
Compensation is output-based. Experts are paid per task that meets the project specifications. The time required to complete each task may vary depending on the expert’s experience and workflow. Minimum submission requirements apply.
Start Timeline & Availability
- We typically fill roles within 48 hours and are looking for experts who are ready to begin immediately. If selected, you will be expected to start your first task within 24–48 hours of completing onboarding.
Requirements
- Python
- Materials Science
- Must be eligible to work in Remote
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.
Interview Prep
This listing calls for this tool directly. Prep for the technical screen:
Why this role
The Materials Science Expert role at micro1 pays $80-$130 per task for scientists who can model material structures, properties, processing and failure using Python. The role runs about 15 hours a week with a flexible schedule built around computational materials science and simulation tasks. A PhD is expected given the level of materials modeling the project requires.
Talent pool
We're light on STEM candidates
We've matched 65 people with a STEM background against 726 STEM 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.
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Common questions
Does Micro1 monitor your computer while you work?
On many projects, yes, through time-tracking tools that take periodic screenshots to verify active hours. Check the specific project's requirements before accepting if desktop monitoring is a dealbreaker.
What does the Micro1 application process look like?
Expect a screening interview with Zara, Micro1's AI recruiter. Prepare for it like a real video call: good lighting, clear audio, verbal answers to technical questions. A human manager reviews the recording afterward, and some roles add a short skills assessment on top.
What does the day-to-day workload look like for elite-expert AI training roles?
Slow and deep, not fast and repetitive. A single task can take 45-60 minutes of researching citations or verifying complex calculations. Quality is what's being measured here, not throughput.
Is AI training work the same as traditional consulting?
No. Instead of client deliverables, you're given complex scenarios to evaluate: grading the AI's logic, correcting its hallucinations, and supplying expert-level reasoning it doesn't have on its own. The job is closer to teaching than consulting.
What does STEM work look like for a Materials Science Expert?
Tasks here are scoped to STEM, not generic labeling. As a Materials Science Expert, expect to draw on real domain judgment (evaluating outputs, correcting errors, or providing expert reasoning specific to STEM) rather than following a one-size-fits-all rubric. If you don't have hands-on STEM background, this is likely not the right listing to start with.
What specific skills does this listing call for?
Python, Materials Science, 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.
What does the 'openings' count on this listing mean?
It's Micro1's live count of how many candidates it's still trying to place for this specific role, 100 right now, not a countdown on your individual application. A higher number signals more active demand; it doesn't lower the bar for acceptance.
How much does this specific role pay?
This listing is posted at $80–$150/task, a per-task 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.
How does per-task pay translate to an hourly rate?
It doesn't directly, that's the catch. Each task has a listed price and an estimated completion time, but your actual effective rate depends on how fast you work. If a task is estimated at 20 minutes and pays $8, that is $24/hr for a fast worker and $12/hr for a slow one. Track your actual time on the first few tasks before treating the listed rate as your real hourly income.
What happens when I click Apply on this listing?
You'll be taken to Micro1'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.