Nuclear Engineering & Safeguards Experts for Red Team
Mercor • Remote, United States
Education
Not stated
Type
Hourly
Pay Rate
$65–$75/hr
Listed
19d ago
Apply opens Mercor in a new tab.
Apply Now → ⚡ Boost your chances - Optimize your resume with Rezi.aiAbout this role
From the Mercor listing
About the work
Mercor is assembling a panel of nuclear domain experts to red-team frontier AI models. The goal is to test whether a model can correctly judge the misuse potential of a technical request — answering legitimate questions fully while refusing genuinely dangerous ones.
You will:
Write challenging single-turn prompts in your domain, labelled across three levels: benign, dual-use, and adversarial.
Evaluate the responses that come back against a defined policy standard, and judge whether each was handled correctly.
Write the reference answer; what a correct response looks like, and the technical reasoning for why.
Background we're looking for We're looking for fuel-cycle depth plus some exposure to how material is controlled, accounted for, or diverted. Safeguards and nonproliferation experience is the strongest signal. The red-teaming task is to write prompts that pull a model past the boundary; the plausible research framing, the question that looks academic until you know what it's actually asking for — and then to explain in writing why the response was or wasn't acceptable. Examples of relevant backgrounds (Ideally w/Red-teaming experience): Safeguards Analyst / IAEA or Euratom Inspector — material accountancy, inspection regimes, Additional Protocol. Nuclear Engineer, Fuel Cycle — enrichment, reprocessing and criticality, end to end. Nuclear Security Engineer (national laboratory) — MPC&A, insider threat, physical protection design. Nuclear Forensics Scientist — radioxenon monitoring, attribution, detection and characterisation. Nonproliferation Analyst — export control, NSG trigger lists, acquisition and smuggling pathways.
What the work requires This is writing-intensive work. Every judgment you make needs a written rationale that a non-specialist can follow. Prior technical writing, published research, or expert witness experience is a strong signal — please include a sample or link. You will also be reading and writing about misuse scenarios in your field for sustained periods. We brief experts on this in advance, and you can pause or step away at any point without penalty.
Before you apply Your work here will not involve, and must not draw on, classified or export-controlled information, or anything covered by an NDA or prepublication review obligation. If you hold such obligations you may still be a good fit — tell us in your application and we will scope the work accordingly.
Requirements
- Must be eligible to work in one of: Remote, United States
- Fluent proficiency in English (Written & Verbal)
- Reliable high-speed internet connection
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience
- Demonstrated expertise in STEM
How long hiring takes
Across the AI training platforms we refer candidates to, the median gap between referral and hire is about 30 days. It varies by platform and role, so treat it as a rough guide for this one.
Talent Pool members
Apply through this link and we can put you forward to Mercor when your profile is a strong match. Not every applicant is submitted. If you're not in the pool yet, set up your profile first.
Set up your profile →Why this role
This Nuclear Engineering & Safeguards Experts for Red Team role pays $65–$75/hr for your STEM judgment directly, without requiring case files, client meetings, or firm overhead to get there.
Talent pool
We're light on STEM candidates
We've matched 65 people with a STEM background against 726 STEM listings we've tracked, so most go out without one. Set up a profile and we'll consider you for a role like this one.
Set up your profileSkills and categories
Explore other opportunities in related specializations:
Related jobs
Browse All Jobs from Mercor
Discover more opportunities on Mercor that match your skills and interests.
View All Mercor Jobs →Verified Reviews
Community Reviews
Share your experience with Mercor
Help other candidates make better decisions by leaving a review.
Sign in to leave a reviewLeave your review
Common questions
Is Mercor for freelancers or full-time contractors?
Mercor places you with one client for a defined engagement, like 'Python Tutor for 3 months', rather than having you grab small tasks from a shared queue. Most roles function as steady contract work, not one-off gigs.
Does Mercor's application require an on-camera interview?
Yes, every applicant records a video interview with an AI interviewer that asks questions about your resume. Clients review that recording to judge communication skills before matching, so there's no way to apply without going on camera.
Do I need a PhD for academic-niche AI training roles?
For the top pay tiers, a PhD or current enrollment is usually expected. But the domain assessment is what decides it: if you can solve the problems, the degree becomes secondary.
Is academic-niche AI training a continuous job?
Usually not. Work runs in campaigns, like training a model specifically on quantum mechanics, that might last a few weeks. Treat it as a high-paying fellowship or grant rather than a permanent daily job.
What does STEM work look like for a Nuclear Engineering & Safeguards Experts for Red Team?
Tasks here are scoped to STEM, not generic labeling. As a Nuclear Engineering & Safeguards Experts for Red Team, expect to draw on real domain judgment (evaluating outputs, correcting errors, or providing expert reasoning specific to STEM) rather than following a one-size-fits-all rubric. If you don't have hands-on STEM background, this is likely not the right listing to start with.
What specific skills does this listing call for?
Coding and Expert are named directly in the listing. If you don't have hands-on experience with these, expect the screening process to test for them directly rather than accepting adjacent experience as a substitute.
How much does this specific role pay?
This listing is posted at $65–$75/hr, an hourly rate. The range reflects experience level and negotiated terms, not a placeholder, so where you land in it depends on your background and the assessment. Pay can change between when we last checked the listing and when you apply, so confirm the current number on the platform's own application page before committing time.
What happens when I click Apply on this listing?
You'll be taken to Mercor's external site to complete your application there. This listing links through a referral, but the process is identical to applying directly; the link just routes you correctly. Create an account on their site and follow their onboarding steps.
Can I apply from outside the United States?
This specific role is open only to people based in the United States. If you are somewhere else, applying is unlikely to lead to an offer even if you pass the assessment, because the restriction is usually about where the work can legally be contracted rather than your skills. Read the full description for any tax-residency or right-to-work caveats before you apply.
How soon will I start working after applying to Mercor?
Not immediately. Mercor is a talent marketplace, not a task queue, so applying puts you in a pool of candidates. You start working only once a specific client, like a major AI lab, selects your profile, and that matching process can take weeks.