Applied Physics Specialist
Posted Today by Alignerr
Negotiable
Undetermined
Remote
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
Summary: The Applied Physics Specialist role focuses on leveraging expertise in physics to enhance AI's understanding of the physical world. Candidates will design complex physics problems, audit AI reasoning, and refine model behavior to ensure adherence to fundamental physical laws. This fully remote position is ideal for PhD-level physicists looking to apply their knowledge to significant technological challenges. No prior AI experience is necessary.
Key Responsibilities:
- Design PhD-Level Problems: Craft advanced, open-ended physics problems that demand multi-step logical reasoning, rigorous mathematical derivation, and mastery of first principles.
- Author Gold-Standard Solutions: Write meticulous, step-by-step "golden responses" where every physical constant, unit conversion, and logical step is airtight.
- Audit AI Reasoning: Evaluate AI-generated simulations, proofs, and derivations for physical consistency, identifying where and why a model hallucinates physics that violates reality.
- Refine Model Behaviour: Provide structured, expert feedback that helps AI systems develop genuine physics-informed reasoning.
- Push the Frontier: Work on university-level and research-level benchmarks spanning various physics disciplines.
Key Skills:
- Completed or near-completing a PhD in Applied Physics, Physics, Engineering Physics, or a closely related field.
- Deep mastery across core pillars of physics: Classical Mechanics, Electrodynamics, Statistical Mechanics, and Quantum Mechanics.
- Exceptional ability to communicate complex physical phenomena and mathematical derivations in clear, structured written English.
- Uncompromising precision in identifying errors in unit, sign, and physical intuition.
- Self-directed and reliable when working independently on technical tasks.
- Experience with scientific computing tools such as Python (NumPy/SciPy), MATLAB, or COMSOL is a plus.
- Background in data annotation, scientific dataset evaluation, or academic peer review is advantageous.
- Familiarity with AI language models as a user or researcher.
- Experience developing problem sets, exams, or instructional materials at the graduate level is desirable.
Salary (Rate): £64.00 hourly
City: Birmingham
Country: United Kingdom
Working Arrangements: remote
IR35 Status: undetermined
Seniority Level: undetermined
Industry: Other
Applied Physics Specialist (AI Training)
About The Role
What if your expertise in quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, and electrodynamics could directly shape how AI understands the physical world? We're looking for PhD-level Applied Physicists to probe, challenge, and 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 domain experts who want to apply their deep scientific knowledge to one of the most consequential technology challenges of our time. No prior AI experience required.
Organization: Alignerr
Type: Hourly Contract
Location: Remote
Commitment: 10–40 hours/week
What You'll Do
- Design PhD-Level Problems: Craft advanced, open-ended physics problems that demand multi-step logical reasoning, rigorous mathematical derivation, and mastery of first principles — equivalent to qualifying exam difficulty
- Author Gold-Standard Solutions: Write meticulous, step-by-step "golden responses" where every physical constant, unit conversion, and logical step is airtight
- Audit AI Reasoning: Evaluate AI-generated simulations, proofs, and derivations for physical consistency — identifying exactly where and why a model hallucinates physics that violates reality
- Refine Model Behaviour: Provide structured, expert feedback that helps AI systems develop genuine physics-informed reasoning, correctly handling boundary conditions, conservation laws, and dimensional analysis
- Push the Frontier: Work on university-level and research-level benchmarks spanning quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, classical mechanics, and beyond
Who You Are
- Completed or near-completing a PhD in Applied Physics, Physics, Engineering Physics, or a closely related field
- Deep mastery across the core pillars of physics: Classical Mechanics, Electrodynamics, Statistical Mechanics, and Quantum Mechanics
- Exceptional ability to communicate complex physical phenomena and mathematical derivations in clear, structured written English
- Uncompromising precision — you catch unit errors, sign mistakes, and flawed physical intuition on instinct
- Self-directed and reliable when working independently on technical tasks
- No prior AI or machine learning experience required
Nice to Have
- Experience with scientific computing tools such as Python (NumPy/SciPy), MATLAB, or COMSOL
- Background in data annotation, scientific dataset evaluation, or academic peer review
- Familiarity with AI language models as a user or researcher
- Experience developing problem sets, exams, or instructional materials at the graduate level
Why Join Us
- Work on genuinely high-impact AI projects in partnership with leading research labs
- Fully remote and async — work on your own schedule, from anywhere in the world
- Freelance autonomy with the substance of meaningful, expert-level scientific work
- Direct exposure to how frontier AI models are built, evaluated, and improved
- Potential for ongoing work and contract extension as new projects launch