MercorDomain experts
Drug Discovery Specialist, Pharmacology & ADME/Tox
up to $100/hr
About this role, in Mercor's words
Join a leading AI lab's cutting-edge research team to be at the core of the AI revolution, where your expertise fuels the development of the most advanced LLMs.
Candidate background
What this role asks for
- 3+ yrs experience
Read from the posting's own words: show the exact sentences
- 3+ yrs experience: “…a closely related discipline, or equivalent research experience. • 3+ years of experience in early-to-mid stage drug discovery, pharmacology, DMPK / ADME or toxicology at a…”
A closer look
More context, when you need it.
Full job descriptionThe original posting, in Mercor's words
Posted by Mercor, reproduced here so you can judge the role before clicking. Original posting ↗
Join a leading AI lab's cutting-edge research team to be at the core of the AI revolution, where your expertise fuels the development of the most advanced LLMs.
1. Overview
Join a leading AI lab's cutting-edge research team and help build foundational AI models for science from the ground up. We're seeking talented Drug Discovery subject-matter experts (SMEs), including pharmacologists, DMPK / ADME scientists and toxicologists from pharma, biotech, contract research or academic settings, to bring deep, hands-on discovery expertise to the design and evaluation of advanced AI models for drug discovery.
This is a part-time position through Cincinnatus LLC (or an appropriate international entity), with the opportunity to be placed at a leading AI Lab as part of their extended workforce.
2. Key Responsibilities
• Guide research and engineering teams to close knowledge gaps and improve AI model performance in mechanism of action, target and cellular pharmacology, ADME/Tox, and PK/PD.
• Design challenging, non-searchable drug discovery tasks, benchmarks and training data, and write accurate, well-structured solutions to problems such as interpreting assay readouts, identifying compound liabilities and planning optimization strategy.
• Evaluate AI model outputs and step-by-step reasoning on drug discovery tasks, diagnosing errors in scientific logic, tool usage and factual accuracy, and provide clear, written technical feedback.
• Develop specifications, grading rubrics and verification processes for drug discovery data produced by external technical teams, and act as the domain authority on data quality.
• Advise on assay design and quality control, experimental failure modes, and the biological and pharmacological validity of model outputs.
• Collaborate with other subject matter experts to ensure consistency and accuracy in training data.
3. Core Qualifications
• PhD in pharmacology, pharmaceutical sciences, toxicology, DMPK, biochemistry or a closely related discipline, or equivalent research experience.
• 3+ years of experience in early-to-mid stage drug discovery, pharmacology, DMPK / ADME or toxicology at a recognized organization, such as a pharmaceutical or biotech company, a contract research organization, or an academic drug discovery group.
• Hands-on experience analyzing experimental drug discovery data, such as in vitro ADME and safety assays, PK/PD studies, CRO assay readouts or LC-MS bioanalysis, and using it to guide compound decisions.
• Comfortable using PK/PD or data analysis software and scientific AI tools (no coding required).
• Ability to engage reliably for at least 20 hours/week during weekdays.
• Strong written communication skills and the ability to explain complex technical decisions clearly.
• Nice to have: experience with PK/PD or ADME modeling, writing grading rubrics, designing benchmark tasks, or evaluating scientific AI models.
About Cincinnatus LLC: Cincinnatus LLC is an enterprise staffing company that partners with leading technology companies to source and employ highly skilled professionals for contingent and contract-based opportunities. Cincinnatus, or an appropriate international entity, serves as the employer of record for these engagements, providing employment, payroll, benefits, and compliance, while placing employees directly within client teams to work on high-impact initiatives.
Equal Employment Opportunity: Cincinnatus is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or any other legally protected characteristic.
Working with MercorPay, getting started and work, from Mercor's own pages
What the platform publishes in general. These are not extra terms confirmed for this particular role.
- Getting paid
- Hourly work is paid every Wednesday for the previous week, through Stripe Connect or Wise, whichever Mercor assigns to your region. Stripe holds the first payout for 7 days. talent.docs.mercor.com/how-to/payments, talent.docs.mercor.com/policies/contracts
- Before your first paid task
- An AI interview of about 20 minutes, reused for other roles that need it, then any assessments the role asks for. Before logging hours: ID verification through Persona, a tax form, the contract documents, the Insightful time tracker, and a background check the onboarding guide says usually takes one to two weeks. talent.docs.mercor.com/support/ai-interview, talent.docs.mercor.com/how-to/apply, talent.docs.mercor.com/policies/contracts, talent.docs.mercor.com/how-to/id-verification, talent.docs.mercor.com/working/project-onboarding
- How much work
- The current interview FAQ gives no reply-time estimate. Mercor says it notifies you when your application moves to the next stage and that you can keep applying. When a project ends you are not moved to a new one automatically. talent.docs.mercor.com/support/ai-interview, talent.docs.mercor.com/support/project
- Contract
- Independent contractor with Mercor.io Corporation of San Francisco, which deducts no taxes. talent.docs.mercor.com/policies/taxes-work-authorization, talent.docs.mercor.com/support/legal
Read on the pages linked above on 23 Sep 2026. Platforms change these terms, so check the linked page before you rely on one.
Alex's experience on MercorA personal account, not a promise about your project
Alexruns this site and has worked on Mercor himself. Written 31 Aug 2026.
- Every interview I took used an AI interviewer. They always checked my microphone and camera and asked me to share my screen, and some included a timed exercise of around 25 minutes.
- Many later applications needed no new interview from me. With the required assessments complete and no other outstanding steps, applying could be close to one click.
- The application I checked did not ask for a rate. My offer matched my minimum in Work Preferences. That does not establish that Mercor always caps higher offers at your preference.
- Onboarding and setup came to about 4 hours, with more security and tool setup. Of the three platforms I worked on, it was the most complicated for me. That is an estimate from my projects, not a platform average.
- Mercor required the Insightful tracker on my project. I observed app and website usage monitoring, and I am unsure which screenshot settings applied, so check the configuration.
- I was paid for hours logged, once every 14 days, and I have not experienced late or incorrect payments. That was my arrangement. Mercor's current documentation describes weekly payout cycles, so check your own offer.
One person's applications, not a promise about yours.
What happens after you apply, first-handHow does the pay compare?Across Domain experts roles, not this role alone
From our own daily reads of every open listing on the platforms we follow, not from Mercor's posting. How we count.
Pay across the field: Domain experts
Across 751 roles in this field with a stated hourly rate in US dollars, on 21 platforms, the middle half pays $63 to $125 an hour at the top of the range, and the median is $100. This role's top rate, $100, is in the middle half. Of the 268 distinct rates we count, 131 are lower and 115 are higher.
| Platform | Roles | Top of range, per hour |
|---|---|---|
| micro1 | 155 | $12 to $400 · median $110 |
| Alignerr | 148 | $24 to $200 · median $80 |
| AfterQuery | 93 | $45 to $175 · median $100 |
| Mercor (this platform) | 89 | $55 to $450 · median $120 |
| Handshake AI | 81 | $30 to $300 · median $80 |
Sources and listing historyWhere this information comes from
This listing's history
- First seen here on 22 Oct 2026, and still on Mercor's list when we last read it on 25 Oct 2026.
- The listed pay has not changed since then.
- Posted by Mercor
- First seen by AIPayList
- Last seen live
- Listing ID
- list_AAABoWVP2LVSRCNBUUlNs4H0
Pay as the source states it: “70–100 USD HOUR”.
Platforms sometimes change a rate after posting. Every listing here is re-read at least once a day and corrected when its source moves, so a difference you see on the platform is usually a change made since the last read. How freshness works.
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