AI Researcher | Max $120/hr

This range is provided by Mercor. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more. About the Job • Independent contractor • $120/hour • Remote • 20–40 hours/week 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: Machine Learning Researcher Type: Independent contractor Location: Remote Commitment: 20–40 hours/week Role Responsibilities • Compile external ML competitions into challenging tasks that reflect real-world responsibilities. • Validate implementations against original plans and mark discrepancies. • Evaluate the accuracy and depth of AI-generated content to strengthen reasoning and rigor in model outputs. • Provide clear, structured feedback to AI research teams to improve training data quality and downstream performance. • Work independently and asynchronously to meet deadlines while improving AI model performance. Qualifications Must-Have • 5+ years of experience in applied machine learning or a PhD in machine learning or related fields. • Strong understanding of ML research methodologies, experimental design, and evaluation practices. • Excellent analytical and technical writing skills. Preferred • Experience with reproducibility or benchmarking in ML research. • Detail-oriented and able to deliver high-quality, structured feedback independently. Compensation & Legal • Hourly contractor • Paid weekly via Stripe Connect Application Process (Takes 20–30 mins to complete) • Submit your resume or CV highlighting relevant ML research or engineering experience. • Complete a short AI-based interview and a brief questionnaire about your experience. • Selected candidates will receive detailed onboarding materials and access to the project environment. Resources & Support • For details about the interview process and platform information, please check: • 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. Apply tot his job Apply tot his job

Back to blog

Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

2. HOW DO YOU USE THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

When you're working on a remote team, there's no way to chat in the hallway between meetings or catch up on the latest project during an office carpool. Therefore, virtual communication will be absolutely essential to get your work done...

3. WHAT IS "WORKING REMOTE" REALLY FOR YOU?

Many people want to work remotely because of the flexibility it allows. You can work anywhere and at any time of the day...

4. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE TO SUCCEED IN YOUR WORK?

With this question, companies are looking to see what equipment they may need to provide you with and to verify how aware you are of what remote working could mean for you physically and logistically...

5. HOW DO YOU PROCESS INFORMATION?

Several years ago, I was working in a team to plan a big event. My supervisor made us all work as a team before the big day. One of our activities has been to find out how each of us processes information...

6. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAM? WHICH APPLICATIONS / SYSTEM DO YOU USE?

Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

7. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE FILES, LINKS, AND TABS ON YOUR COMPUTER?

Just like your schedule, how you track files and other information is very important. After all, everything is digital!...

8. HOW TO PRIORITIZE WORK?

The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

9. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MEETING AND PREPARE A MEETING? WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING DURING THE MEETING?

Just as communication is essential when working remotely, so is organization. Because you won't have those opportunities in the elevator or a casual conversation in the lunchroom, you should take advantage of the little time you have in a video or phone conference...

10. HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS, IN YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE?

This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with technology, which is very important for a remote worker because you will be working with technology over time...