Molecular Biology Expert

$145,600–$218,400/year annualized
$70–$105/hour
Remote | Hourly Contract | United States

Annualized compensation is based on 40 hours/week × 52 weeks/year. Actual earnings depend on hours worked, project availability, and engagement needs.

About the Opportunity

We are seeking experienced Molecular Biology subject-matter experts (SMEs) to help evaluate and improve advanced generative AI models.

This opportunity is designed for molecular biologists and related life-science professionals with hands-on experience designing nucleic acid sequences and constructs before experimentation. Your expertise will help identify gaps in AI reasoning, establish high-quality reference answers, and improve the accuracy and rigor of AI training data.

Relevant experience includes primers, plasmids, expression vectors, guide RNAs, mRNA constructs, and repair templates, along with the underlying molecular biology and cloning strategies used to design them.

What You’ll Do

• Identify areas where AI models struggle with molecular biology reasoning and help improve those weaknesses.

• Develop challenging, domain-relevant molecular biology tasks and create accurate, well-documented solutions that can serve as expert reference material.

• Evaluate molecular biology questions and AI-generated outputs for scientific accuracy, rigor, and biological reasoning.

• Provide clear written feedback explaining whether model responses are correct and where reasoning needs improvement.

• Develop guidelines and evaluation rubrics for assessing sequence-design quality.

• Collaborate with other molecular biology subject-matter experts to maintain consistency and accuracy across training data.

Relevant areas of expertise include:

• PCR and qPCR primer design

• Cloning and plasmid design

• Expression vectors

• gRNA and sgRNA design

• mRNA and RNA constructs

• HDR and repair templates

• Molecular cloning strategies

• Codon optimization

• Sequence-design evaluation

Who Should Apply

This role is best suited to molecular biology professionals with substantial hands-on experience designing nucleic acid constructs and translating experimental objectives into technically sound designs.

Relevant backgrounds include:

• Molecular biology

• Genetics

• Biochemistry

• Synthetic biology

• Bioengineering

• Related life sciences

Core Qualifications

• Advanced degree in molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, synthetic biology, bioengineering, or a related life-science field; PhD strongly preferred.

• Hands-on experience designing nucleic acid constructs before experimentation across multiple areas, including primers, plasmids/vectors, gRNA/sgRNA, mRNA, and HDR or repair templates.

• Practical understanding of the cloning strategies behind construct design, including Gibson, Golden Gate, Gateway, and restriction-based approaches.

• Experience with codon optimization.

• Strong peer-reviewed publication record, with preference for first-author research in established scientific journals.

• Ability to explain technical design decisions clearly, precisely, and in writing.

• Demonstrated career progression within molecular biology or a closely related scientific field.

• Ability to reliably commit to at least 20 hours per week on weekdays.

• Strong written communication and scientific reasoning skills.

Prior experience in AI training, AI model evaluation, data annotation, or related AI work is an advantage but is not required.

Publication Experience

A strong research and publication record is particularly valuable for this opportunity. Relevant publications may include first-author work in recognized molecular biology, genetics, biotechnology, or related scientific journals.

Please include links to relevant publications when applying.

Why This Opportunity

• Apply your molecular biology expertise to the development and evaluation of advanced AI systems.

• Work on technically challenging problems requiring genuine subject-matter expertise.

• Help establish expert-quality standards for molecular biology reasoning and sequence-design evaluation.

• Collaborate with other specialists across molecular biology and AI.

• Work remotely with a flexible engagement structure.

Engagement Terms

• Compensation: $70–$105/hour

• Annualized equivalent: $145,600–$218,400 based on 40 hours/week for 52 weeks

• Location: United States

• Work arrangement: Fully remote

• Engagement: Hourly contract

• Availability: Minimum 20 hours per week on weekdays

• Projects may be extended, shortened, or concluded early depending on project requirements and performance.

• Work will not require access to confidential or proprietary information belonging to an employer, client, or institution.

• Payments are made weekly based on services rendered.

• H-1B and STEM OPT candidates are not currently supported.

We consider all qualified applicants without regard to legally protected characteristics and provide reasonable accommodations upon request.