Remote PhD Computer Science & Computational Physics Researcher — AI Research & Domain Evaluation

ZR Talent Group has an active remote opening for a Remote PhD Computer Science & Computational Physics Researcher — AI Research & Domain Evaluation ($100 - $400/hour). This flexible work-from-home role pairs experienced practitioners in Computational rigor, Complex problem solving - Research, Problem framing with leading machine learning laboratories to author high-difficulty prompts, verify factual and technical rigor, and refine multi-step reasoning outputs.

Prior experience building machine learning systems is not required—our research partners value authentic practitioner judgment, domain rigor, and clear analytical writing.

Key Responsibilities & Deliverables

• Identify and propose open problems, new bounds, or tractable research challenges in your subfield for rigorous investigation.
• Conduct structured research using frontier frontier AI reasoning systems and agents to attempt proofs, develop algorithms, or run computational simulations.
• Systematically verify research outputs by checking proofs, reproducing numerical results, or employing formal tools.
• Assess findings for novelty and correctness in direct comparison with recent literature and published results.
• Document methodologies, partial results, and encountered challenges through clear and thorough written reports.
• Highlight promising new directions and discoveries for deeper exploration by senior research professionals.

Required Qualifications & Technical Criteria

• Demonstrated professional or advanced academic background in Computational rigor, Complex problem solving - Research, Problem framing.
• Strong analytical writing and critical evaluation skills in English.
• Self-directed work ethic suited for an asynchronous, 100% remote research environment.

Preferred Experience & Bonus Attributes

• Advanced standing in research: late-stage PhD candidate, postdoctoral researcher, or early-career academic (0–5 years post-PhD) in computer science or mathematical/computational physics.
• Recognized by peer community for research excellence, such as best paper or dissertation awards at leading venues (e.g., STOC, FOCS, SODA, PLDI, SC).
• Strong publication track record within the past three years, including multiple top-venue papers and recent results addressing named open problems or introducing novel concepts.
• Hands-on expertise in computational methods, encompassing simulation, numerical analysis, and algorithmic implementation.
• Experience reviewing or sub-reviewing for prominent conferences in your specialty is a plus.
• Background in leveraging frontier models, agents, or formal computational tools (e.g., Lean, SAT/SMT solvers) in scholarly work.
• Publicly shared research statement or homepage outlining specific open problems currently under investigation.

Compensation, Remote Eligibility & Schedule

• Compensation Band: $100 - $400/hour
• Work Model: 100% Remote / Work From Home with flexible asynchronous scheduling
• Eligible Remote Locations: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and South Africa
• Current Openings: 4 active specialist positions
• Hiring Organization: ZR Talent Group
• Core Skills & Technologies: Computational rigor, Complex problem solving - Research, Problem framing