Applied Economics & Finance Benchmark Specialist

About the Role

Mercor is seeking an Applied Economics & Finance Benchmark Specialist to join a leading AI research initiative. This position focuses on the creation and validation of academic-grade benchmarks to assess and improve AI performance. Successful candidates will produce high-level content spanning topics such as behavioral finance, tokenomics, macroprudential policy, market microstructure, urban economics, and algorithmic trading. Responsibilities are split between developing original assessment material and conducting rigorous peer reviews to maintain high data standards for AI model training.

Requirements

• The ideal candidate holds a PhD or is a doctoral candidate in economics, finance, or a closely related academic discipline.
• Candidates possessing a Master's degree may be considered if they demonstrate exceptional depth in a specific subdomain.
• Applicants must possess a strong command of graduate-level economic theory, quantitative methods, and financial modeling.
• A professional background that includes academic research experience, CFA or CPA certification, or specific financial industry expertise is considered a significant advantage.
• Furthermore, candidates must have an excellent command of written English, ensuring that complex technical ideas are expressed with precision and clarity.

Responsibilities

• You will be responsible for drafting original questions that test profound conceptual understanding rather than simple factual recall.
• Each question must be unambiguous and self-contained, supported by one correct answer and nine subtle distractors.
• You will provide comprehensive step-by-step solutions using chain-of-thought methodology in markdown and cite one to five reputable academic sources per item.
• Additionally, you will categorize the difficulty of each question as medium, hard, or expert.
• For verification tasks, you must audit pre-written content, identify flaws in clarity or solvability, and document all necessary edits to ensure the material remains rigorous and accurate.

Benefits & Perks

• This role offers a fully remote, asynchronous work environment with a minimum requirement of 10 hours per week, at a pay rate ranging from $77 to $98 per hour.