Computational Chemistry Researcher (Task Author)

Overview

AfterQuery is looking for researchers to turn their own computational chemistry work into paid evaluation tasks for AI models. This is flexible, independent-contractor work, with no fixed weekly schedule. Tasks are reviewed before approval, and accepted experts may also review other experts’ submissions against a short rubric.

The role is designed for research-track students, recent graduates, postdocs, and others with hands-on computational chemistry experience who can author original, research-grade tasks based on real work they have personally run and debugged.

What You'll Do

• Design original evaluation tasks based on your own computational chemistry or chemical modeling work.
• Create tasks with a main problem, connected subproblems, a Python reference solution, and tests that verify the result.
• Define the criteria a strong solution should satisfy without revealing the exact passing thresholds.
• Revise tasks based on structured review feedback until they are approved.
• Optionally review and calibrate tasks submitted by other experts in your field.

Who They're Looking For

• Researchers with experience in quantum chemistry and electronic structure, molecular simulation and statistical mechanics, chemical kinetics and reaction dynamics, spectroscopy and photochemistry, electrochemistry, catalysis, chemometrics and analytical modeling, biophysical chemistry, atmospheric and environmental chemistry, or chemical thermodynamics.
• Candidates who have written their own code, preferably in Python, to set up, run, and analyze chemical calculations or models.
• People who can turn their own computational research into a clear task with a reference solution and tests.
• Independent workers who can manage their own time and operate without a fixed weekly schedule.

Requirements

• Education: a research-track Bachelor's student, Master's or PhD student, postdoc, or recent graduate in chemistry, chemical physics, chemical engineering, or a closely related field.
• Technical experience with hands-on scripting and analysis for chemical computations or models; running standard packages alone is not sufficient.
• Ability to work as an independent contractor without visa sponsorship.
• Students on F-1 visas, including OPT/CPT, are not eligible.
• Accepted experts undergo standard background and identity verification.

Contract and Compensation

Flexible, task-based independent-contractor work. Compensation is $200 per approved task, with each task taking about 2 hours on average. There is no cap on how many tasks you can take on.

Preferred Qualifications

• Research experience in chemical kinetics, spectroscopy, electrochemistry, or catalysis modeling.
• Public code, a thesis, or papers that demonstrate computational work.
• Prior experience in data annotation, data labeling, or AI/ML evaluation work.