Specialty Materials Chemist – Pyrotechnics, Propulsion

Mercor

. Write challenging single-turn prompts in the specialty materials and propulsion domain .

Posted 9/22/2026contractRemote • United StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 $65 - $75 per hourWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates expertise in formulating and testing specialty energetic materials, with a strong emphasis on technical writing and the ability to communicate complex concepts to non-specialists. Proficient in evaluating model responses and distinguishing between routine and potentially harmful misuse scenarios.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Specialty Energetic Materials FormulationTechnical Writing SkillsPerformance and Sensitivity TestingExperience with Pyrotechnics and PropellantsProcess Safety for Energetic Material Production

ATS Keywords

Tailor your resume

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills

Formulating Energetic MaterialsSynthesising Energetic CompoundsCalorimetryThermal Stability TestingSmall-Scale Safety TestingDeveloping Rocket PropellantsCharacterising Energetic CompoundsScale-Up ProcessesEvaluating Model ResponsesWriting Reference Answers

Soft Skills

Expert JudgmentRationale WritingCommunication Skills

Industry Keywords

Licensed Facility ExperienceGovernment Facility ExperienceAdversarial Prompt EvaluationDual-Use TechnologyMisuse Scenarios

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Write challenging single-turn prompts in the specialty materials and propulsion domain
Label prompts as benign, dual-use or adversarial
Evaluate model responses against a defined policy standard
Judge whether responses handled technical requests correctly
Write reference answers and explain the technical reasoning behind them
Apply expert judgment to distinguish legitimate technical questions from dangerous requests
Write prompts at the boundary between routine professional use and misuse
Provide written rationales that non-specialists can follow
Read and write about misuse scenarios for sustained periods, with the option to pause or step away without penalty
Avoid using classified, export-controlled, NDA-covered or prepublication-review information

Requirements

What you’ll need

Relevant experience formulating, synthesising and testing specialty energetic materials in a licensed or government facility
Ability to distinguish routine professional questions from potentially harmful misuse scenarios
Experience with pyrotechnics, propellants or specialty energetic materials formulation
Experience synthesising and characterising energetic compounds in a licensed or government facility
Experience with performance and sensitivity testing, including calorimetry, thermal stability and small-scale safety testing
Experience with scale-up and process safety for energetic material production
Experience developing solid or liquid rocket propellants, including binders, oxidisers and burn-rate modifiers
Strong technical writing skills; every judgment must include a rationale understandable to non-specialists
Prior technical writing, published research or expert witness experience is a strong signal
Must not use classified, export-controlled, NDA-covered or prepublication-review information in the work
Must provide full legal name, email and LinkedIn URL to apply

Benefits

Comp & perks

Earn up to $250 for each successful referral through the unique referral link
Reasonable accommodations upon request