Forensic Scientist – Nuclear Materials

Mercor

. Write challenging single-turn prompts in nuclear materials and safeguards, labelled benign, dual-use, or adversarial .

Posted 9/19/2026contractRemote • United StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 $65 - $75 per hourWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in nuclear materials characterization, including detection and analytical techniques, while effectively communicating complex technical concepts to non-specialists. Proficient in technical writing and developing prompts that address both benign and adversarial inquiries in the field of nuclear safeguards.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Nuclear Materials CharacterizationRadiochemical AnalysisTechnical WritingDetection TechnologyNuclear Forensics

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

DetectionAttributionAnalytical WorkMass-Spectrometric AnalysisIsotopicsAge DatingMaterial Signature LibrariesReference MaterialsPre- or Post-Detonation ForensicsRed-Teaming

Soft Skills

Strong Technical Writing AbilityAbility to Distinguish Malicious Requests

Tools & Technologies

Portal MonitorsHandheld IdentificationSearch Operations

Industry Keywords

Nuclear ForensicsMisuse ScenariosUnclassified InformationNon-Export-Controlled Information

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Write challenging single-turn prompts in nuclear materials and safeguards, labelled benign, dual-use, or adversarial
Evaluate model responses against a defined policy standard
Judge whether responses handled technical requests correctly
Write reference answers explaining what a correct response looks like and the technical reasoning behind it
Develop prompts that distinguish legitimate professional questions from requests seeking harmful information
Provide written rationales that non-specialists can follow
Read and write about misuse scenarios in the field
Work only with unclassified, non-export-controlled information that is not covered by an NDA or prepublication review obligation

Requirements

What you’ll need

Experience characterising real nuclear material, including detection, attribution, and analytical work supporting defensible conclusions
Relevant background in nuclear forensics casework or international exercise participation
Experience with radiochemical and mass-spectrometric analysis, isotopics, age dating, impurity and process signatures
Experience with detection and interdiction technology, including portal monitors, handheld identification, or search operations
Experience with material signature libraries, reference materials, and attribution methodology
Pre- or post-detonation forensics research at a national laboratory or agency
Ability to distinguish routine professional questions from potentially malicious requests
Strong technical writing ability; every judgment must include a rationale understandable to a non-specialist
Prior technical writing, published research, or expert witness experience is a strong signal
Must not use classified or export-controlled information, NDA-covered information, or material subject to prepublication review obligations
Willingness to read and write about misuse scenarios for sustained periods
Red-teaming experience is ideally relevant
Include a technical-writing sample or link if available

Benefits

Comp & perks

Earn up to $250 for each successful referral
No limit on how many people you can refer
Reasonable accommodations upon request
Ability to pause or step away from misuse-scenario work at any point without penalty