Physics Expert (PhD / Postdoc)

What you'll do

This is the umbrella listing for micro1's physics solver work. Instead of one pinned problem, it takes PhDs and postdocs from a dozen subfields and gives them advanced problems in their own specialism to solve.

The job is to produce reference-quality solutions:

• Solve advanced problems with rigorous, fully documented derivations
• Write them up in LaTeX, stating every assumption, approximation and final result
• Use SymPy, Python and Jupyter to verify symbolic or numerical steps where it helps
• Catch the subtleties: special cases, boundary conditions, dimensional consistency
• Flag ambiguous problem statements and propose a defensible reading
• Revise in response to reviewer feedback, cleanly

If you have written a careful solutions manual or a methods appendix, you know the texture of this work. The difference is that a reviewer will read every line looking for the gap.

Who fits

• A physics PhD, or an advanced-stage PhD candidacy, with active research experience
• Research depth in at least one of: high energy, mathematical physics, biophysics, statistical physics, condensed matter (including moiré systems, magnetism and PXP/Rydberg), AMO and quantum optics, gravitation, cosmology, astrophysics, quantum information, or optical properties of materials
• 2–5 recent publications (roughly the last five years) with arXiv or DOI links
• LaTeX, plus SymPy, Python and Jupyter; the ad says you can indicate where you would need support
• Clear, precise technical writing and strong analytical judgement
• Availability for an 8–10 week engagement

The publication requirement is the real filter, and it is what separates this from the broader PhD Physicist listing. Advanced PhD students with papers out are explicitly eligible, which many expert-tier roles are not.

Time commitment

The ad gives two figures that do not quite agree. The schedule line says 10–15+ hours a week, fully flexible, including evenings and weekends. The qualifications ask for consistent engagement over 8–10 weeks at approximately 10 hours a week. Read it as roughly 10 hours a week as the baseline, with more available.

What it pays

$100–200/hour, micro1's published band, and one of the highest among its physics listings. At 10 hours a week over 8–10 weeks that is 80–100 hours in total, which is roughly $8,000–20,000 across the project if the hours hold. That arithmetic is ours; the ad publishes no compensation structure, so whether you are paid for time or per accepted solution is not stated.

Worth knowing

Good:

• Open worldwide, fully remote, with evening and weekend hours accommodated
• Broad: a dozen subfields qualify
• PhD candidates with publications can apply
• A $100 floor, and a defined 8–10 week window you can plan around
• Posted 17 days ago, so fresher than most of micro1's physics roles

Less good:

• Publications are expected, which rules out people who left research some years ago
• The hours are stated inconsistently between the schedule line and the qualifications
• A $100-wide band with no stated basis for placement
• No compensation structure published
• A fixed-length project rather than ongoing work
• Contractor engagement: no benefits, no notice period, your own tax to manage

About this listing

Posted by micro1 on its own jobs portal and read on 24 September 2026. The band, the 14 openings, the worldwide location, the hours, the 8–10 week window and the subfield list are from the listing; the total-earnings range is our arithmetic. For single-problem roles in the same subfields, see High Energy / Mathematical Physics, Condensed Matter / Quantum Information and AMO / Quantum Information. See micro1.