Senior Mathematical Problem Creator (Part-Time/Full-Time Contractor Positions)

Please note that this role is closed and no longer accepting applications.
We are seeking experienced mathematicians to develop challenging and innovative mathematical problems to a novel mathematical problem-solving benchmark for AI systems. 

The primary activity of these contractor positions is writing original math questions. It’s crucial for our purposes that the questions and their answers do not appear on the Internet. Question authors may also be asked to review the questions proposed by other question authors to ensure that the desired criteria of originality, difficulty and correctness are satisfied. Experimenting with existing AI systems to get a sense of their capabilities is also encouraged.

Successful candidates will report to Elliot Glazer, project lead. This role is fully remote, and we are able to contract in many countries.

We anticipate that we’ll have enough questions to complete the benchmark at the end of 2024 or by first quarter 2025, and as such this is a contractor role that’s intended to be temporary. We will accept applications on a rolling basis, and close the contractor search when the positions are filled.
Department
Incubated and Sponsored Projects
Employment Type
Flexible
Location
Remote
Workplace type
Fully remote
Reporting To
Elliot Glazer

Contractor Positions

We are offering two types of contractor positions for question authors to contribute original and challenging mathematics problems to a novel mathematical problem-solving benchmark for AI systems. Applicants may apply for either of the following roles, or for both. Please specify which role you are interested in (Full-Time Question Contributor, Project-Based Question Contributor, or both) when submitting your application.

Key Responsibilities 

  • Writing questions that will be included in the benchmark: this will be the core responsibility of all question authors.
  • Reviewing and validating questions written by other question authors before these questions can be included in the benchmark. This is essential to ensure a low rate of error in question statements and solutions.
  • Collaborating with other question authors when necessary, for example to ensure similar questions are not submitted by multiple authors or to generate better questions by working as a team.
  • Ensuring that the questions and their answers are not posted anywhere such that they would have a substantial chance of appearing in the training dataset of future AI models. Our guidelines require avoiding any platform that could store the questions or their answers on third-party servers: Slack, Discord, Google Drive, et cetera. Question authors will be expected to comply with these security guidelines.

1. Project-Based Question Contributor

This role is designed for those who prefer a flexible engagement. Compensation is provided per problem submitted, with a guaranteed payment for up to 5 problems on a topic of the contractor’s expertise to be specified by Epoch AI.


Compensation
  • Guaranteed Payment: At least $300-$500 per problem submitted, for up to 5 problems.
  • High-Quality Bonus: Each question will be evaluated for its difficulty and quality, and up to $1,000 will be paid for an exceptionally involved problem.
  • Co-authorship: Contributors who significantly enhance the benchmark will be eligible for co-authorship in resulting publications (conditional on merit of contribution such as number of questions, difficulty, quality, or topic).
  • Possible Extension: After 5 problems, this offer may be extended by the period or number of questions determined by Epoch AI.
  • Additional Submissions: If this offer isn’t extended, the question contributor may still continue to submit questions to the benchmark without a guaranteed payment. Any questions that are accepted into the benchmark will be compensated with between $300 and $1,000 USD each, depending on Epoch AI's assessment of the question’s difficulty.
  • Currency Flexibility: Payments aren't restricted to USD and can be made in different currencies depending on the location of contributors.


2. Full-Time Question Contributor

This role involves a consistent commitment, where the question contributor will be compensated with a base monthly payment regardless of the number of questions written, plus performance-based bonuses determined by the number and difficulty of the questions delivered each month.


Compensation
  • Base Monthly Payment: $2,000 USD for full-time contributors.
  • Performance-Based Bonus: Rates starting from $300 USD per question for the easiest questions meeting our criteria and up to $1,000 USD per question for the most difficult questions.
  • Co-authorship: Contributors who significantly enhance the benchmark will be eligible for co-authorship in resulting publications (conditional on merit of contribution such as number of questions, difficulty, quality, or topic).
  • Expected Contribution: Throughout the project's duration of 2-4 months, we anticipate each full-time question author to contribute a total of 20-75 questions to the benchmark.
  • Anticipated Monthly Earnings: Based on our observations during this project’s pilot, we anticipate that a question author working full-time should be able to receive a payment in the amount of approximately $10,000 each month, though this is only an average estimate.
  • Currency Flexibility: Payments aren't restricted to USD and can be made in different currencies depending on the location of contributors.

What We Are Looking For

Requirements

  • Technical expertise in some branch of mathematics.
  • At least a Ph.D. level background in mathematics. This condition doesn’t mean a viable candidate must have a Ph.D. in mathematics, but if they don’t, we expect candidates to provide independent proof of an equivalent level of background alongside their application.
  • Experience solving difficult math problems which require the use of programming. For example, past experience with solving recent Project Euler problems would suffice.

Nice to have

  • Current or former academic position at a university (e.g., professor, lecturer, researcher).
  • Publication history in peer-reviewed mathematical journals.
  • An impressive track record in renowned mathematics competitions. Examples include being an IMO gold medalist or a Putnam Fellow.
  • Past experience with writing questions for challenging math competitions such as the IMO, the Putnam, or the Miklós Schweitzer Competition.
  • A basic level of proficiency with the Python programming language, as solutions for problems requiring programming will be written in Python.
  • Experience in developing curriculum or assessment materials for advanced mathematics courses (preferably graduate level).

About Epoch AI

Epoch AI is a research institute that investigates trends in machine learning and the economic consequences of AI. Our work informs policy-making at key government institutes and governance at leading industry AI labs.

You can learn more about our work in this summary dashboard or our blog.

Additional information 

  • Please email careers@epochai.org if you have any questions about this role or accessibility requests.
  • Please specify which role you are interested in (Full-Time Question Contributor, Project-Based Question Contributor, or both) when submitting your application.
  • Please submit all of your application materials in English and note that we require professional-level English proficiency.
  • Epoch AI is committed to building an inclusive, equitable, and supportive community where you can thrive and do your best work. We’re also committed to finding the best people for our team, so please don’t hesitate to apply for a role regardless of your age, gender identity/expression, political identity, personal preferences, physical abilities, veteran status, neurodiversity, or any other background.
  • Epoch AI is fiscally sponsored by Rethink Priorities.

About Epoch AI

Rethink Priorities is a research organization aimed at uncovering insights to inform policymakers and major foundations about how to best set policy to help people and nonhuman animals.

Since the beginning of 2018, we've:
We're supported by Open Philanthropy, the Survival and Flourishing Fund, and individual donors.

If you'd like to know more about our hiring process, culture, and what working at Rethink Priorities is like, visit our Career Opportunities website.

Rethink Priorities is committed to building an inclusive, equitable, and supportive community for you to thrive and do your best work. We're committed to finding the best talent for our team, so please don't hesitate to apply for a role regardless of your age, gender identity, political identity, personal preferences, physical abilities, veteran status, or any other background you may identify with.

If there isn’t a role available that aligns with your interests and expertise, we still want to hear from you. At a minimum, we'll keep your information on file, and let you know about future roles you might be a good fit for.

Register Your Interest
Department
Incubated and Sponsored Projects
Employment Type
Flexible
Location
Remote
Workplace type
Fully remote
Reporting To
Elliot Glazer
View all opportunities at Epoch AI