Applied Physics
Posted Today by Alignerr
Negotiable
Undetermined
Remote
Manchester, England, United Kingdom
Summary: The role of Applied Physicist focuses on leveraging expertise in physics to evaluate and enhance AI models, ensuring they adhere to fundamental physical laws. Candidates will design complex physics problems, audit AI reasoning, and document failure modes in AI-generated outputs. This fully remote contract position is ideal for PhD-level physicists seeking to apply their knowledge to significant technological challenges. No prior AI experience is necessary, but a strong analytical mindset is essential.
Key Responsibilities:
- Design Advanced Physics Problems — Craft complex, open-ended problems at PhD qualifying exam level.
- Author Rigorous Solutions — Develop authoritative, step-by-step "golden responses" with meticulous attention to detail.
- Audit AI Reasoning — Evaluate AI-generated simulations and proofs for physical consistency.
- Refine Model Behaviour — Provide structured feedback to improve AI reasoning capabilities.
- Document Failure Modes — Catalogue breakdowns in AI reasoning to contribute to research benchmarks.
Key Skills:
- Completed or near-completed PhD in Applied Physics, Physics, Engineering Physics, or a closely related field.
- Deep mastery of Classical Mechanics, Electrodynamics, Statistical Mechanics, and Quantum Mechanics.
- Exceptional analytical writing ability.
- Attention to detail regarding units, scientific notation, and logical proof structure.
- Self-motivated and reliable in independent work.
- Experience with data annotation or scientific dataset evaluation (nice to have).
- Proficiency with computational tools such as Python, MATLAB, or COMSOL (nice to have).
- Familiarity with AI/ML concepts (nice to have).
Salary (Rate): £32.00 hourly
City: Manchester
Country: United Kingdom
Working Arrangements: remote
IR35 Status: undetermined
Seniority Level: undetermined
Industry: IT
Applied Physics (AI Training)
About The Role
What if your expertise in quantum mechanics, electrodynamics, and thermodynamics could directly shape how AI understands the physical world? We're looking for PhD-level Applied Physicists to stress-test cutting-edge AI models — exposing the gaps in their physical reasoning and helping ensure they never violate the fundamental laws of the universe. This is a fully remote, flexible contract role built for researchers and physicists who want to apply their deep domain knowledge to one of the most consequential technology challenges of our time. No prior AI experience required — just rigorous scientific expertise and a sharp analytical mind.
Organization: Alignerr
Type: Hourly Contract
Location: Remote
Commitment: 10–40 hours/week
What You'll Do
- Design Advanced Physics Problems — Craft complex, open-ended problems at PhD qualifying exam level, requiring multi-step logical reasoning and precise mathematical derivation across topics like quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, and classical mechanics
- Author Rigorous Solutions — Develop authoritative, step-by-step "golden responses" with meticulous attention to physical constants, unit conversions, and logical proof structure
- Audit AI Reasoning — Evaluate AI-generated simulations, derivations, and proofs for physical consistency — identifying where models "hallucinate" physics that violates first principles such as conservation of energy or momentum
- Refine Model Behaviour — Provide structured, expert feedback that improves an AI's ability to reason through boundary conditions, conservation laws, and physics-informed constraints
- Document Failure Modes — Systematically catalogue where and how AI reasoning breaks down, contributing to research-level benchmarks that push the frontier of AI capability
Who You Are
- Completed or near-completed PhD in Applied Physics, Physics, Engineering Physics, or a closely related field
- Deep mastery across the core pillars: Classical Mechanics, Electrodynamics, Statistical Mechanics, and Quantum Mechanics
- Exceptional analytical writing ability — you can translate complex derivations and physical phenomena into clear, structured, precise English
- Uncompromising attention to detail regarding units, scientific notation, dimensional analysis, and the logical flow of a proof
- Self-motivated and reliable when working independently and asynchronously
- No prior AI or data annotation experience required
Nice to Have
- Experience with data annotation, scientific dataset evaluation, or quality assurance systems
- Proficiency with computational tools such as Python (NumPy/SciPy), MATLAB, or COMSOL
- Background in research-level benchmarking or academic peer review
- Familiarity with AI/ML concepts or large language model behaviour
Why Join Us
- Work on cutting-edge AI projects alongside world-leading research labs
- Fully remote and flexible — work when and where it suits you
- Freelance autonomy with the structure of meaningful, high-impact scientific work
- Apply your PhD-level expertise to problems that matter at a global scale
- Potential for ongoing work and contract extension as new projects launch