Nuclear Engineer, Fuel Cycle at Mercor

Nuclear Engineer, Fuel Cycle | $65–75/hr | Worldwide Remote

Mercor is assembling a panel of nuclear materials and fuel cycle experts to evaluate and red-team frontier AI models. This task-based contract role focuses on testing whether AI systems can correctly distinguish legitimate technical inquiries from potentially dangerous misuse — a nuanced challenge that demands real practitioner expertise.

What You'll Do

• Write challenging single-turn prompts across three classification levels: benign, dual-use, and adversarial
• Evaluate AI-generated responses against a defined policy standard and assess whether each was handled appropriately
• Author reference answers — including the correct response and the technical reasoning behind it

Why This Role Matters

The fuel cycle sits at the heart of the dual-use challenge. The same material-balance calculation used by a safeguards inspector can be exploited to conceal discrepancies; the same enrichment step that fuels a power reactor is a node in a proliferation pathway. A model that refuses a routine criticality-safety question is failing just as badly as one that answers something it shouldn't. Drawing that line reliably requires practitioners — not generalists.

Relevant Backgrounds

• Enrichment, conversion, or fuel fabrication engineering — process design, operations, throughput
• Reprocessing and back-end fuel cycle — separations, waste streams, spent fuel management
• Criticality safety engineering — safety evaluations, limits and controls, accident analysis
• Fuel cycle systems analysis and modeling — material flows, cycle performance, and economics
• Safety analysis or licensing for fuel-cycle facilities

Beyond Technical Expertise

This is writing-intensive work. Every judgment requires a clear written rationale accessible to non-specialists. Prior technical writing, published research, or expert witness experience is a strong signal — please include a sample or link in your application. You will be engaging with misuse scenarios in your field for sustained periods; full briefings are provided in advance, and you may pause or step away at any time without penalty.

Important Note

This work must not draw on classified, export-controlled, or NDA-protected information. If you hold such obligations, you may still qualify — please disclose this in your application so the scope can be adjusted accordingly.