Inorganic Chemistry PhD - Synthesis Expert

About the job

Mercor connects elite creative and technical talent with leading AI research labs. Headquartered in San Francisco, our investors include Benchmark, General Catalyst, Peter Thiel, Adam D'Angelo, Larry Summers, and Jack Dorsey.

Position: Inorganic Chemistry & Synthesis Expert
Type: Contract
Compensation: $84/hour
Location: Remote
Commitment: 10–40 hours/week

Role Responsibilities

• Evaluate technically complex problems involving inorganic chemistry, solid-state chemistry, and materials synthesis.
• Review and validate AI-generated scientific explanations, synthesis pathways, and experimental methodologies.
• Assess reaction mechanisms, precursor selection, reaction conditions, phase formation, and materials stability.
• Develop scientifically rigorous reference answers, technical evaluations, and reasoning frameworks.
• Identify inaccuracies in chemical reasoning, proposed synthetic routes, and interpretations of experimental results.
• Apply knowledge of analytical and characterisation techniques such as XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and thermal analysis.
• Collaborate with research teams to improve the scientific accuracy and reliability of advanced AI models.

Qualifications

Must-Have

• PhD in Inorganic Chemistry, Materials Chemistry, Solid-State Chemistry, Materials Science, or a closely related discipline. Exceptional MSc candidates with extensive research experience may be considered.
• Demonstrated experience in inorganic synthesis, solid-state reactions, solution-phase synthesis, hydrothermal/solvothermal methods, or related techniques.
• Strong understanding of crystallography, phase diagrams, chemical bonding, thermodynamics, and reaction kinetics.
• Experience interpreting experimental characterisation data and assessing scientific literature.
• Strong scientific writing, analytical reasoning, and communication skills.
• Ability to independently evaluate complex scientific problems.

Preferred

• Research experience involving catalysts, metal oxides, ceramics, semiconductors, coordination compounds, or functional inorganic materials.
• Peer-reviewed publications or patents in inorganic chemistry or materials synthesis.
• Experience bridging experimental chemistry with computational materials science.
• Prior experience evaluating scientific datasets, technical benchmarks, or AI-generated research outputs.

Application Process (Takes 20–30 mins to complete)

• Upload resume
• AI interview based on your resume
• Submit form

Resources & Support

• For details about the interview process and platform information, please check: https://talent.docs.mercor.com/welcome
• For any help or support, reach out to: support@mercor.com

PS: Our team reviews applications daily. Please complete your AI interview and application steps to be considered for this opportunity.