About the role
Opportunity Overview
Handshake is looking for experienced mathematicians and research scientists to support AI research through flexible, part-time contract work. This is not a traditional job — you'll draw on your hands-on experience in pure or applied mathematics to evaluate AI-generated content and provide feedback that helps AI reason like a practicing mathematician.
This is an ongoing, project-based opportunity you can take on alongside your current role.
What You'll Do
Use your domain expertise to create expert-level mathematics problems and scenarios grounded in real proof, formalization, and computational workflows Review and evaluate AI-generated responses for technical accuracy, rigor, and alignment with how the work is actually done Provide structured written feedback to help improve AI model performance Complete tasks at your own pace with no set schedule or minimum hour requirement Potential opportunity to publish alongside our research team.
Qualifications
Ideal candidates meet all three of the following:
Degree — PhD in Mathematics (pure or applied) Sub-domain depth — demonstrated expertise in one of the following areas:
Proof and formal methods (Lean, Coq, Isabelle) Symbolic computation (SageMath, Mathematica), optimization, and numerical analysis A core subfield such as algebra, topology/geometry, number theory, analysis, or combinatorics Candidates who meet at least 2 of the 3 qualifications above are also encouraged to apply.
Additional qualifications (not required, but strengthen your application)
Proficiency with theorem provers and symbolic computation software Experience formalizing proofs or working on problems at the edge of what current AI models can handle
Required for all applicants
Must have US work authorization Strong written communication and attention to detail Ability to explain complex mathematical concepts clearly Ability to work independently in a remote, asynchronous environment