Applied Chemistry Benchmark Specialist

$61–77/hrrate as listed

Write and verify expert-level chemistry multiple-choice questions — one correct answer plus nine subtly wrong distractors — with step-by-step solutions and cited references. Work is asynchronous and remote, with an expected commitment of 10+ hours per week at an observed rate of $61–77/hr.

Summary, eligibility guidance and screening preparation are prepared by Sidequest from the platform's posting. Check the source listing before applying.

The work

You will be assigned to one of two task streams. Question authoring means building original problems in your own subdomain: a self-contained prompt, ten answer options where nine are plausible enough to trap a competent solver, a difficulty rating (Medium/Hard/Expert), a markdown Chain-of-Thought solution, and 1–5 references from peer-reviewed literature or university repositories. Question verification means auditing someone else's item — checking that the chemistry is correct, that no required information is missing, that the distractors are genuinely wrong rather than arguably defensible, and that the stated answer survives your own independent derivation. Edits must be documented and justified.

Domains in scope include materials, polymer and electronic chemistry; industrial and process chemistry; energy storage and environmental chemistry; pharmaceutical and agrochemical chemistry; and consumer, food and specialty chemicals. The bar is deep conceptual reasoning and quantitative work, not recall. Distractor design is the part most contributors underestimate — near-miss answers built from realistic mistakes (wrong sign convention, unit slip, plausible-but-inapplicable mechanism) are what make an item useful as a benchmark.

What the screen looks for

A verifiable doctoral or doctoral-candidate background in chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering, or a close adjacent field; a master's can clear the bar with unusual depth in one subdomain.
Whether your claimed specialty holds up under follow-up questioning at the level of mechanism, assumptions, and edge cases.
Editorial judgment: can you tell an ambiguous question from a hard one, and will you flag a flawed item rather than patch it silently.
Written English precise enough that a solution reads unambiguously to another expert.
Honest availability. 10+ hours/week is the expectation, and consistency matters more than a large first week.

Logistics

Fully remote, fully asynchronous, no fixed hours. Work arrives as batched task assignments and is paid hourly; the $61–77/hr band reflects rates observed on this listing and is not a guarantee. Throughput and acceptance rate typically govern continued volume, and prior experience with olympiad problem writing or graduate exam authoring is a meaningful advantage.

What they look for

PhD or doctoral candidate in chemistry, biochemistry, or chemical engineering
Graduate-level command of reaction mechanisms and quantitative chemical analysis
Academic assessment or problem design experience (exams, olympiad, qualifying questions)
Ability to write clear step-by-step solutions in markdown
Literature-sourcing fluency with peer-reviewed journals and repositories
Precise technical written English

Before you apply

Would you pass this screen?

Drawn from what this listing actually requires. Answered in your browser — nothing is sent to us, and we do not store your answers.

Do you hold a PhD, or are you currently enrolled in a doctoral program, in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related field?
Doctoral degree in chemistry or related field · required
If you do not hold or are not pursuing a PhD, do you hold a Master's degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related field?
Master's degree (if not pursuing doctorate) · preferred
Can you commit to at least 10 hours per week to this role over the duration of your engagement?
10+ hours per week availability · required
Do you have professional, research, or advanced academic expertise in at least one of these areas: Materials/Polymer/Electronic Chemistry, Industrial/Process Chemistry, Energy Storage/Environmental Chemistry, Pharmaceutical/Agrochemical Chemistry, or Consumer/Food/Specialty Chemicals?
Expertise in one of the covered chemistry domains · required
Are you able to write clear, grammatically correct English suitable for academic assessment content?
Written English fluency · required

0 of 5 answered

Included with this listing

Interview prep — 12 questions

Matched to what this platform's screening actually measures. Answer each out loud in 60–90 seconds: claim → concrete example → implication.

What it tests: Verifying that you hold a PhD or are a doctoral candidate (or have a Master's with demonstrated depth), not just a chemistry enthusiast, and that your specialization aligns with the domains this benchmark covers.
A strong answer: State your degree type, granting institution, field (chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering, etc.), and your specific research focus or thesis topic—show where your expertise sits among the six domains listed.
Where people lose it: Claiming a Master's without then proving exceptional depth in a narrow subdomain, or listing a degree in a tangential field (physics, materials science alone) and hoping it counts as 'closely related' without justification.