Specialty Materials Chemist at Mercor

Specialty Materials Chemist (Pyrotechnics / Propulsion) | $65–75/hr | Worldwide Remote | Task-Based Contract

Mercor is building a panel of energetic materials and propulsion experts to evaluate and red-team frontier AI models. Your work will help determine whether AI systems can reliably distinguish legitimate technical questions from genuinely dangerous ones — a critical line in one of the most dual-use domains in science.

What You'll Do

• Write challenging single-turn prompts across three risk levels: benign, dual-use, and adversarial
• Evaluate AI-generated responses against a defined policy standard and judge whether each was handled correctly
• Author reference answers — including the correct response and a clear technical rationale

Why This Role Matters

Energetic materials sit closer to the dual-use boundary than almost any other domain. The same formulation knowledge that qualifies a propellant or display composition borders on information that should never be shared. A model that refuses a routine thermal-stability question is failing just as badly as one that answers something it shouldn't. Drawing that line reliably requires practitioners — not generalists.

Relevant Backgrounds

• Formulation chemist for pyrotechnics, propellants, or specialty energetic materials
• Synthesis and characterisation of energetic compounds in a licensed or government facility
• Performance and sensitivity testing — calorimetry, thermal stability, small-scale safety testing
• Scale-up and process safety for energetic material production
• Solid or liquid rocket propellant development — binders, oxidisers, burn-rate modifiers

Beyond Technical Expertise

This is writing-intensive work. Every judgment requires 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 in your application.

Note: This role must not draw on classified, export-controlled, or NDA-protected information. If you hold such obligations, mention them in your application and we will scope the work accordingly.