Forensic Scientist Nuclear Materials Remote
Listing checked September 15, 2026 · pay as published by Mercor
Overview
Neon is assembling a panel of nuclear forensics and safeguards practitioners to red-team frontier AI models. The job is to test whether a model can judge misuse potential: it should answer legitimate technical questions and refuse dangerous ones. You will write single-turn prompts across three labels, benign, dual-use, and adversarial, then assess model responses against a set policy standard. Each prompt also needs a reference answer that describes a sound reply and the technical reasoning behind it. Much of the challenge comes from the dual-use nature of this field, where the same signature that helps attribute a sample could also reveal what to hide.
What You'll Do7
- 1Write demanding single-turn prompts in nuclear materials, safeguards, or forensics, and label each as benign, dual-use, or adversarial.
- 2Review model outputs against the policy standard and decide whether the response met the bar.
- 3Draft reference answers that show what a correct reply should cover.
- 4Explain the technical reasoning that supports each reference answer and evaluation.
- 5Identify where a routine question about measurement methodology starts to cross into misuse potential.
- 6Use casework knowledge from sample characterization, attribution, radiochemical analysis, or detection operations.
- 7Produce written rationales that a non-specialist can follow.
Requirements12
- 1Hands-on experience characterizing real nuclear material through detection, attribution, or analytical work.
- 2Background in nuclear forensics casework or international exercise participation.
- 3Knowledge of radiochemical and mass-spectrometric analysis, including isotopics, age dating, and impurity or process signatures.
- 4Familiarity with detection and interdiction tools such as portal monitors, handheld identification, and search operations.
- 5Understanding of material signature libraries, reference materials, and attribution methodology.
- 6Research experience in pre- or post-detonation forensics at a national laboratory or agency.
- 7Red-teaming experience is preferred.
- 8Ability to tell a normal professional question from one that seeks harmful detail.
- 9Strong technical writing, published research, or expert witness experience.
- 10A writing sample or link to prior work.
- 11No reliance on classified, export-controlled, NDA-bound, or prepublication-review information.
- 12Disclose any such obligations in the application so the work can be scoped.
Who Should Apply
Nuclear materials specialists who have worked on sample characterization, attribution, radiochemistry, or detection fit this panel. You should be comfortable writing for non-specialists, since every judgment needs a rationale that a general reader can follow. The role is a poor match for generalists who lack direct nuclear forensics or safeguards experience, or for anyone who wants to apply without a writing sample. Candidates often score low when they cannot point to a specific case, instrument, or attribution method, or when their prompts fail to hold the dual-use line. Another common rejection reason is failing to flag NDA, export-control, or prepublication obligations up front.
Salary Insight
The listing pays $75 for a one-time, task-based engagement. That amount suits a single prompt-writing and review deliverable rather than an ongoing consulting arrangement. No wider salary range appears in the source, so ask about scope, revisions, and payment terms if the work grows beyond one task.
Pay and demand for Cybersecurity roles
AggregatedTypical pay
$62/hour
This role
$75 fixed
Most Cybersecurity roles pay $42–$84 per hour.
Based on 70 similar roles that publish pay · 6 publish only a top rate; those count at the rate they gave
Rates shown per hour. Yearly and monthly pay converted; one-time fees and non-USD pay are not included.
- Live similar roles
- 89
- Listed in last 30 days
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- Remote
- 97%
Hiring most right now: Neon (29) · micro1 (25) · Mercor (14)
Most requested skills · share of roles
- red teaming24%
- technical writing21%
- penetration testing19%
- reverse engineering18%
Figures from Cybersecurity roles live on NearSkill when this page loaded. A role can close before you apply, so check the listing itself.
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Compensation
$75 fixed
Required Skills
Application Tip
Name one nuclear forensics case, exercise, or analytical project where you characterized a sample or interpreted a signature, and include a writing sample or publication link. That gives reviewers concrete proof of the domain depth and nonspecialist communication this panel needs.
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