Chemical Defense Researcher at Mercor

Chemical Defense Researcher | $65–75/hr | Worldwide Remote

Mercor is assembling a panel of chemistry and chemical safety experts to evaluate and red-team frontier AI models. This task-based contractor role focuses on testing whether AI systems can accurately distinguish legitimate technical inquiries from potentially dangerous misuse — a critical challenge in the chemical defense domain.

What You'll Do

• Write challenging single-turn prompts across three classification levels: benign, dual-use, and adversarial
• Evaluate AI-generated responses against defined policy standards and assess whether each was handled appropriately
• Author reference answers that demonstrate correct responses, supported by clear technical reasoning

Why This Role Matters

Chemical defense sits uniquely on the dual-use line — the same toxicology that informs a countermeasure dose can describe a harmful exposure scenario. A model that refuses a routine PPE or decontamination question fails just as critically as one that answers something it shouldn't. Drawing that line reliably requires practitioners, not generalists.

Ideal Background

• Chemical defense research at USAMRICD, DoD, CDC, or an allied national institute
• Toxicology of chemical warfare agents and medical countermeasure development
• Decontamination, protection, and detection research for chemical threats
• CWC-related work — verification, destruction, or designated laboratory analysis
• Consequence assessment and medical management of chemical exposures
• Prior red-teaming experience is a strong plus

Writing & Communication

This is a writing-intensive role. Every judgment requires a written rationale accessible to non-specialists. Prior technical writing, published research, or expert witness experience is highly valued — please include a writing sample or link in your application.

Important Notes

This work must not draw on classified, export-controlled, or NDA-protected information. If you hold such obligations, please disclose them in your application — we will scope the work accordingly. You may pause or step away at any time without penalty.