Materials Scientist / Engineer
Micro1 • Remote
Education
Master's
Type
Per task
Pay Rate
$80–$130/task
Actively Hiring
1 openings
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- Start timeline
- Starts within 24–48 hrs of onboarding
About this role
From the Micro1 listing
Job Description Role Title: Materials Science Expert Role Type: Contractor Location: Remote micro1 is selecting Materials Science Experts to contribute to a customer's project focused on advancing the capabilities of AI technologies in materials engineering. In this role, you'll apply your expertise to help train next-generation AI systems. Your work will shape how models learn, reason, and perform through high-quality, real-world input. No prior experience in AI is required, your domain knowledge is what matters. This is an opportunity to impact the future of engineering by ensuring that AI systems can accurately interpret, solve, and explain complex materials challenges spanning selection, failure analysis, testing, and process development. Experts with a passion for precision, technical detail, and clear written and verbal communication will find this engagement both rewarding and influential.
Scope of Work
- Evaluate and solve advanced materials science and engineering problems spanning materials selection, failure analysis, testing, and process development.
- Review and assess AI-generated technical responses for technical correctness, accuracy, and engineering quality.
- Apply practical engineering judgment to real-world materials selection and failure scenarios and theoretical questions.
- Analyze and troubleshoot materials issues using industry-standard techniques such as microstructural analysis, fractography, mechanical testing (tensile, fatigue, hardness), and thermodynamic/kinetic modeling.
- Contribute domain expertise to inform model improvements and refine AI reasoning in materials science and engineering.
- Document feedback and provide clear written and verbal explanations to enhance AI learning and performance.
- Collaborate remotely with a distributed team of experts and project participants.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree and above in Materials Science & Engineering, Metallurgy, or ME/ChemE with a materials specialization.
- At least 3 years of hands-on experience in materials selection, failure analysis, testing, or process development.
- Expert knowledge of material classes (metals, polymers, ceramics, composites), microstructure-property relationships, and degradation/failure mechanisms.
- Proven ability to analyze root-cause failures using fractography, metallography, and mechanical/thermal test data.
- Familiarity with relevant standards bodies (ASTM, ASM, ISO materials standards) and process qualification requirements.
- Professional English proficiency with exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
- Experience with materials characterization equipment (SEM, XRD, TEM, DSC/TGA) or process development in a manufacturing environment is a plus.
- Strongly preferred — evidence of problem-authoring rigor, such as: service on an olympiad problem committee; a textbook problem-set or solutions-manual author credit; an item-writer role on an NCEES or academic qualifying-exam committee; service on an ASTM, ASM, or ISO materials standards committee; a top placement or team-lead role in the TMS Materials Bowl, ASM International undergraduate design competition, or an MRS student award; a best-paper award at TMS Annual Meeting, MS&T, or MRS, or a publication in Acta Materialia / Nature Materials; an Acta Materialia Silver Medal; or an early-career fellowship/grant (NSF CAREER, DOE Early Career, Sloan Fellowship) or TMS Young Leader / MRS Outstanding Young Investigator recognition.
Compensation Structure
Compensation is output-based; experts are paid per task that meets the project specifications. The time required to complete work may vary depending on the expert’s experience and workflow. Minimum submission requirements apply. Experts must submit a minimum of tasks per week.
Start Timeline & Availability
We typically fill roles within 48 hours and are looking for experts ready to jump in right away. If selected, we expect you to start your first tasks within 24–48 hours of completing onboarding.
Requirements
- materials science expertise
- materials characterization
- technical literature review
- scientific data interpretation
- clear written and verbal communication
- remote collaboration
- annotating technical datasets
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.
Key responsibilities
- Evaluate and solve advanced materials science and engineering problems spanning materials selection, failure analysis, testing, and process development.
- Review and assess AI-generated technical responses for technical correctness, accuracy, and engineering quality.
- Apply practical engineering judgment to real-world materials selection and failure scenarios and theoretical questions.
- Analyze and troubleshoot materials issues using industry-standard techniques such as microstructural analysis, fractography, mechanical testing (tensile, fatigue, hardness), and thermodynamic/kinetic modeling.
Why this role
The Materials Scientist / Engineer role at micro1 pays $80-$130 per task for scientists who can characterize materials and interpret scientific data against technical literature. The project centers on advancing AI capabilities in materials engineering, so scenario and case study development is part of the deliverable alongside annotation work. This role treats quality assurance in scientific deliverables as a core skill rather than an afterthought.
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
Can I apply to Micro1 from outside the US or UK?
Yes. Micro1 accepts applicants from most countries worldwide, unlike DataAnnotation or Outlier, both of which cap access to a handful of English-speaking countries. Most roles still require strong written and spoken English.
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.
Why do these AI training roles pay so much?
Because general knowledge isn't what's being tested. The model already knows the basics; what it needs is expertise on edge cases, the rare, difficult, highly technical judgment calls only a senior professional in the field would make correctly.
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.
What does STEM work look like for a Materials Scientist / Engineer?
Tasks here are scoped to STEM, not generic labeling. As a Materials Scientist / Engineer, 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?
materials science expertise, materials characterization, technical literature review, and scientific data interpretation 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, 1 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–$130/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.
Do I need a Master's to qualify?
This role lists a master's degree as a requirement. In practice, the domain assessment is the real gate. If you can pass it, the degree is usually secondary. However, some platforms verify credentials formally, so list your actual qualifications accurately on your profile.