Remote | Astrophysics & Cosmology Benchmark Consultant — $60–$90/hour
About The Position
We are sharing a specialised part-time consulting opportunity for astrophysics and cosmology professionals experienced in astropy, cosmological calculations, angular power spectra, galaxy survey analysis, observational data reduction pipelines, Python scientific computing, and benchmark evaluation workflows. This role supports current and upcoming remote consulting opportunities focused on astrophysics and cosmology problem design, scientific software evaluation, observational and computational workflow development, Python-based validation, and high-quality project execution. Selected professionals will design challenging research-grade computational problems, create precise expected outputs, develop validation logic, and refine task difficulty based on structured calibration feedback.
Requirements
- Graduate-level expertise in astrophysics, cosmology, observational astronomy, computational astronomy, physics, applied mathematics, or a closely related STEM field
- MS, PhD, or equivalent research experience in a relevant domain
- Hands-on experience using astropy or comparable astrophysics and cosmology software tools in real research workflows
- Strong Python programming skills for scientific computing, validation logic, and task setup
- Experience writing code that calls scientific software libraries to solve actual astronomy, astrophysics, or cosmology problems
- Ability to understand software edge cases, numerical limitations, and what makes a problem genuinely difficult
- Comfort working independently and iterating on problem designs based on feedback
- Ability to work in Linux, terminal-based environments, or remote compute sandboxes
Nice To Haves
- Experience across multiple astrophysics, astronomy, cosmology, or scientific computing tools
- Familiarity with benchmark design, evaluation design, calibration workflows, or technical task validation
- Background in scientific pedagogy, exam design, problem-set creation, or graduate-level technical assessment
- Experience with computational reproducibility, containerized environments, remote compute, or research software packaging
Responsibilities
- Design original graduate-level computational problems grounded in real astrophysics and cosmology workflows
- Create tasks involving cosmological calculations, angular power spectra, galaxy survey analysis, observational data reduction, or related computational astronomy workflows
- Develop problems that require precise outputs from fully specified computational setups
- Design tasks that test strategic reasoning, physical interpretation, numerical judgment, and careful analysis of partial scientific outputs
- Work with astropy or related astrophysics and cosmology software tools
- Create problems involving astronomical coordinate systems, cosmological distance calculations, survey data interpretation, angular spectra, or observational pipeline outputs
- Evaluate whether tasks require genuine astrophysical reasoning rather than surface-level computation
- Identify edge cases, software limitations, numerical artifacts, or reasoning traps that make a problem genuinely challenging
- Write Python problem setups, oracle functions, and solution validators
- Refine tasks through calibration feedback until the difficulty reaches the target range
- Create structured evaluation materials that support reproducible scoring and consistent review
- Maintain technical accuracy, reproducibility, and clear documentation across submitted task materials
Benefits
- Competitive hourly compensation
- Flexible scheduling
- Weekly payments
- Projects may be extended, shortened, or adjusted
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Part-time
Career Level
Entry Level
