Materials Science AI Training Expert

About OpenTrain

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• Work on cutting-edge AI training projects
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About AI Training Work

AI training is the human side of building artificial intelligence. Experts review model responses, create high-quality examples, and define evaluation standards so AI systems can reason more accurately about specialized subjects.

In this role, your materials science judgment will help distinguish technically sound reasoning from answers that merely sound convincing. Your work will contribute to the development and measurement of advanced AI capabilities.

• Evaluate AI-generated technical content
• Turn expert judgment into clear, teachable criteria
• Help shape how AI systems handle materials science problems

The Role

OpenTrain AI is seeking a Materials Science Domain Expert to improve the quality of AI training tasks and model outputs related to materials science and materials engineering. You will work with research and program management teams on instruction specifications, gold-standard solutions, benchmarks, and materials-specific evaluation tools.

This hybrid role is based in the Bay Area, California, and requires on-site presence multiple days per week. The engagement is described as full-time at 40 hours per week for an initial six-month period, while the structured listing specifies a 20+ hour weekly commitment. Confirm the expected schedule during the application process.

The role is offered as a contractor opportunity with a listed hourly range of $70 to $110. The listing fields also identify the engagement as part-time and entry level, although the stated qualifications require advanced academic and professional materials expertise.

• Location: Bay Area, California
• Work arrangement: Hybrid, with on-site presence multiple days per week
• Initial engagement: 6 months
• Listed pay: $70-$110 per hour
• Engagement type: Contractor
• Language: English
• Eligible country: United States

What You'll Do

You will assess whether materials science knowledge-work tasks and AI-generated answers meet a genuinely high technical standard. The work calls for careful scrutiny of reasoning, evidence, structure-property relationships, and practical relevance.

You will also help translate advanced materials expertise into repeatable training and evaluation systems that research teams can use to measure meaningful progress.

• Review materials science tasks and model outputs for quality and technical accuracy
• Identify missing behaviors, weak reasoning, unsupported structure-to-property claims, and plausible-sounding errors
• Write high-quality instruction specifications
• Produce gold-standard solutions to materials problems
• Create new materials tasks based on real-world practice
• Design challenging materials science benchmarks and evaluation sets
• Help build materials-specific skills and tools with the research team
• Calibrate standards with researchers and specialists in adjacent fields
• Convert tacit materials judgment into explicit evaluation criteria

Required Qualifications

This opportunity is intended for an established materials specialist with deep research or industrial experience and the ability to communicate technical judgments precisely in writing.

• PhD in materials science, materials engineering, or a closely related discipline such as chemistry, chemical engineering, applied physics, or metallurgy
• A master's degree with exceptional industrial depth may be considered
• At least 4 years of substantive materials research or industrial R&D experience
• Experience at a research university, national laboratory, or industrial research organization
• Genuine specialization in at least one materials area, such as energy storage, semiconductors, polymers, structural alloys, or computational materials
• Senior-level career progression with real ownership of research direction
• Hands-on professional use of large language models
• Ability to distinguish well-reasoned answers from plausible but incorrect responses
• Excellent written communication
• Ability to provide precise, well-structured written feedback

Helpful Background

Additional experience with experimental or computational materials work can strengthen your ability to evaluate technical AI outputs and design realistic tasks.

• Materials characterization
• Microscopy
• Computational materials
• Materials simulation
• Peer-reviewed publications
• Granted patents
• Shipped materials programs

Why Join OpenTrain

AI training is a fast-growing field where specialists directly influence how state-of-the-art models behave. OpenTrain helps experts find projects that match their knowledge while building a durable career in AI training and data labeling.

Through OpenTrain, you can manage your AI training profile, track opportunities and earnings, and pursue flexible work connected to advanced AI development.

• Contribute directly to the development of advanced AI systems
• Use your specialized materials expertise in a growing technology field
• Access remote and flexible AI training opportunities across the industry
• Build a lasting portfolio of AI training work

How to Apply

Create a free account on OpenTrain, complete your profile with your materials science education and experience, and apply for this opportunity. Be prepared to describe your specialization, research or industrial R&D background, professional use of large language models, and relevant publications, patents, or shipped programs.

• Create or update your OpenTrain profile
• Highlight your materials science specialization and technical experience
• Include relevant research, R&D, publications, patents, or programs
• Apply through OpenTrain and confirm schedule and hybrid-work expectations