History & Political Science Expert (Remote | $44–$56/hr)

Applied History & Political Science Benchmark Specialist

Position: Applied History & Political Science Benchmark Specialist

Type: Hourly Contract

Compensation: $44 –$56/hour

Location: Remote

About the Opportunity

This opportunity is for experienced history and political science professionals and researchers to contribute their expertise to an advanced AI research and evaluation project with Mercor.

You will author and verify high-quality academic assessment content across national security, public policy, business history, environmental history, and Latin American history. The work focuses on developing rigorous benchmarks that evaluate AI systems on historical understanding, political reasoning, comparative analysis, conceptual depth, and academic accuracy.

Experts with advanced academic or professional expertise in relevant history, political science, international relations, and related disciplines are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

• Develop original, challenging history and political science multiple-choice questions that assess deep conceptual understanding rather than surface-level recall.
• Create rigorous assessment scenarios across national security, public policy, business history, environmental history, and Latin American history.
• Provide 1 correct answer and 9 plausible but subtly incorrect alternatives for each question.
• Ensure questions are self-contained, unambiguous, precise, and academically rigorous.
• Rate each question according to difficulty: Medium, Hard, or Expert.
• Develop clear, step-by-step solutions explaining the reasoning behind the correct answer.
• Provide 1–5 reputable academic references for each question, including peer-reviewed research and university resources.
• Review and verify pre-written questions for historical and political accuracy, clarity, completeness, precision, and solvability.
• Identify and correct inaccurate, ambiguous, or unsupported claims.
• Document and justify any modifications made during the verification process.
• Apply historiographical methods, political theory, comparative analysis, and evidence-based reasoning when evaluating assessment content.
• Help establish gold-standard benchmarks for evaluating AI performance in history and political science.

Required Qualifications

• PhD or doctoral candidate in History, Political Science, International Relations, or a closely related field.
• Strong command of historiographical methods, political theory, and comparative analysis.
• Advanced knowledge of at least one relevant history or political science domain.
• Strong academic research and analytical skills.
• Ability to evaluate complex historical and political claims for accuracy, context, evidence, and logical consistency.
• Excellent written English and ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and concisely.
• Ability to independently research and reference reputable academic sources.
• Strong critical-thinking skills and attention to detail.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree or higher with exceptional depth in a relevant subdomain.
• Research publications in history, political science, international relations, or related disciplines.
• Professional experience in policy research, government, international affairs, national security, or public policy.
• Specialization in national security, public policy, business history, environmental history, or Latin American history.
• Experience creating academic assessments, examination questions, research materials, or evaluation rubrics.
• Previous experience with AI evaluation, AI training, benchmark development, or quality assurance is a plus.

Compensation

• $44–$56/hour
• Hourly contract engagement.
• Fully remote and asynchronous opportunity.
• Expected commitment of 10+ hours per week.
• Opportunity to apply advanced expertise in history and political science to AI research and benchmark development.

Eligibility

• History, political science, international relations, and related academic professionals with advanced subject-matter expertise are encouraged to apply.
• Candidates with PhD or doctoral-level training are particularly suited to the role.
• Candidates with a Master's degree and exceptional specialization in a relevant subdomain may also be considered.
• Expertise in one or more covered domains is applicable.
• Candidates with research publications or policy experience are strongly encouraged to apply.

Application Process

• Apply for the Applied History & Political Science Benchmark Specialist position.
• Complete the required screening process.
• Demonstrate relevant history, political science, international relations, or policy expertise.
• Complete any required academic evaluation or assessment.
• Complete onboarding if selected.
• Begin authoring, reviewing, and evaluating AI-generated history and political science assessment content.