Applied Physics Specialist
Posted Today by Alignerr
Negotiable
Undetermined
Remote
Cambridge, England, United Kingdom
Summary: The Applied Physics Specialist role involves evaluating and challenging AI's understanding of physics through the design of complex problems and the auditing of AI-generated reasoning. Candidates will need a PhD in a relevant field and will work independently to refine AI models' physics-informed reasoning. This is a fully remote, flexible contract position requiring a rigorous scientific mindset. No prior AI experience is necessary, but a passion for precision is essential.
Key Responsibilities:
- Design PhD-level physics problems across various domains requiring logical reasoning and mathematical derivation.
- Author gold-standard solutions that are physically exact and verified.
- Audit AI-generated reasoning to identify errors and contradictions with established physics principles.
- Provide structured feedback to refine AI models' understanding of physics.
- Work independently and asynchronously on a flexible schedule.
Key Skills:
- PhD completed or in final stages in Applied Physics, Physics, Engineering Physics, or a closely related field.
- Deep mastery of Classical Mechanics, Electrodynamics, Statistical Mechanics, and Quantum Mechanics.
- Exceptional ability to explain complex phenomena in clear English.
- Attention to detail in scientific notation, dimensional analysis, and logical proof structure.
- Self-motivated and reliable in independent work.
- Experience with scientific data annotation or benchmark design is a plus.
- Proficiency with computational tools such as Python, MATLAB, or COMSOL.
- Background in research or applied physics industries is advantageous.
- Familiarity with AI tools or language model evaluation is beneficial.
Salary (Rate): £32.00 hourly
City: Cambridge
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 deep expertise in physics could directly shape how AI understands the physical world — ensuring it respects the fundamental laws that govern reality? We're looking for PhD-level Applied Physicists to challenge and evaluate cutting-edge Large Language Models on their understanding of physics. You'll design problems that push AI to its limits, document where its reasoning fails, and help build models that truly understand concepts like conservation of energy, quantum superposition, and electromagnetic field behaviour. This is a fully remote, flexible contract role. No prior AI experience required — just a rigorous scientific mind and a passion for precision.
Organization: Alignerr
Type: Hourly Contract
Location: Remote
Commitment: 10–40 hours/week
What You'll Do
- Design PhD-level physics problems — craft advanced, open-ended challenges spanning quantum mechanics, electrodynamics, thermodynamics, and classical mechanics that require multi-step logical reasoning and rigorous mathematical derivation
- Author gold-standard solutions — produce definitive, step-by-step responses that are physically exact, with every constant, unit, and boundary condition verified
- Audit AI-generated reasoning — identify where models hallucinate physics, violate first principles, or produce reasoning that contradicts established theory
- Refine AI understanding — provide structured, expert feedback to help models develop physics-informed reasoning that respects real-world constraints
- Work independently and asynchronously on your own schedule
Who You Are
- PhD completed or in final stages 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 ability to explain complex physical phenomena and mathematical derivations in clear, structured English
- Uncompromising attention to detail — units, scientific notation, dimensional analysis, and logical proof structure are second nature to you
- Self-motivated and reliable when working independently
- No prior AI or machine learning experience required
Nice to Have
- Experience with scientific data annotation, dataset quality evaluation, or benchmark design
- Proficiency with computational tools such as Python (NumPy/SciPy), MATLAB, or COMSOL
- Background in research, academia, or applied physics industries
- Familiarity with AI tools or language model evaluation as an end user
Why Join Us
- Work on high-impact 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, intellectually stimulating work
- Rare opportunity to see inside how cutting-edge LLMs are trained and evaluated
- Contribute to ensuring AI systems reason about the physical world correctly and responsibly
- Potential for ongoing work and contract extension as new projects launch