Applied Physics Specialist
Posted Today by Alignerr
Negotiable
Undetermined
Remote
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Summary: The Applied Physics Specialist role involves leveraging advanced physics expertise to evaluate and enhance AI models' understanding of physical principles. Candidates will design complex physics problems, audit AI reasoning, and provide feedback to refine model behavior. This fully remote contract position offers flexibility in hours and requires a PhD in a relevant field. No prior AI experience is necessary, but a strong foundation in physics is essential.
Key Responsibilities:
- Design PhD-level problems requiring multi-step logical reasoning and mastery of core physical principles.
- Author rigorous, step-by-step "golden responses" for physics problems.
- Audit AI-generated solutions for physical consistency and identify violations of first principles.
- Provide structured feedback to improve AI handling of boundary conditions and conservation laws.
- 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 physical phenomena in clear prose.
- Strong attention to detail regarding units, scientific notation, and logical proofs.
- Self-motivated and consistent in independent work.
- Experience with data annotation or scientific dataset evaluation is a plus.
- Proficiency with computational tools such as Python, MATLAB, or COMSOL is advantageous.
- Familiarity with AI tools or language model outputs as an end user is beneficial.
Salary (Rate): £32.00 hourly
City: Edinburgh
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 years of graduate-level physics training could directly influence how AI reasons about the physical world? We're looking for PhD-level Applied Physicists to stress-test cutting-edge Large Language Models — exposing the gaps in their understanding of quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, electrodynamics, and more. This is a fully remote, flexible contract role. No AI background needed — just deep domain expertise and the precision of a researcher who knows when something violates first principles.
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 requiring multi-step logical reasoning, mathematical derivation, and mastery of core physical principles
- Author ground-truth solutions — Write rigorous, step-by-step "golden responses" where every constant, unit conversion, and logical step is airtight
- Audit AI reasoning — Evaluate AI-generated solutions and proofs for physical consistency, identifying where models "hallucinate" physics that violates first principles
- Refine model behaviour — Provide structured, expert feedback that improves how AI handles boundary conditions, conservation laws, and physics-informed constraints
- Work independently and asynchronously — fully 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 of the core pillars: Classical Mechanics, Electrodynamics, Statistical Mechanics, and Quantum Mechanics
- Exceptional ability to explain complex physical phenomena and mathematical derivations in clear, structured prose
- Uncompromising eye for detail — units, scientific notation, and the logical flow of a proof matter to you
- Self-motivated and consistent when working independently
- No prior AI or data annotation experience required
Nice to Have
- Experience with data annotation, scientific dataset evaluation, or academic benchmarking
- Proficiency with computational tools such as Python (NumPy/SciPy), MATLAB, or COMSOL
- Background in research, academia, or applied engineering environments
- Familiarity with AI tools or language model outputs as an end user
Why Join Us
- Work on high-impact AI projects alongside the world's leading AI research labs
- Fully remote and flexible — work when and where it suits you
- Freelance autonomy with the structure of meaningful, intellectually rigorous work
- Gain direct exposure to how frontier AI models are trained and evaluated
- Contribute to ensuring that the next generation of AI systems genuinely understands the physical world
- Potential for ongoing work and contract extension as new projects launch