Cybersecurity Specialist - Fully Remote | Upto $90/hr Part-time

mercor; United States; Remote; USD 83,000 - 124,000; Part time

Job summary

Mercor is seeking a Cybersecurity Software Engineer for AI Safety on a remote, contract basis. The role focuses on crafting expert prompts, evaluating model outputs for accuracy and safe handling of sensitive content, and applying structured guidelines to classify conversations.

You will strengthen AI safety in cybersecurity topics and work independently to meet deadlines. Candidates should have a CS degree or 5+ years of software engineering experience, strong cybersecurity knowledge, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or Master's in CS or related field, or 5+ years of software engineering experience.
• Strong cybersecurity concepts and modern software systems knowledge.
• Strong written English and technical reasoning.
• Sound judgment around security and dual-use information.

Responsibilities

• Write expert-level prompts across specialized cybersecurity topics.
• Evaluate and annotate model responses for technical accuracy and appropriate handling of sensitive content.
• Apply structured guidelines to classify prompts and conversations.
• Strengthen the handling of specialized cybersecurity topics in AI models.
• Work independently and asynchronously to meet deadlines while improving AI model safety.

Skills

Cybersecurity concepts

Software engineering experience

English writing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Master's degree in Computer Science or related field

5+ years of professional software engineering experience

Job description

About the job

Mercor connects elite creative and technical talent with leading AI research labs. Headquartered in San Francisco, our investors include Benchmark , General Catalyst , Peter Thiel , Adam D'Angelo , Larry Summers , and Jack Dorsey .

Position: Cybersecurity SWE — AI Safety

Type: Contract

Compensation: $60–$90/hour

Location: Remote

Commitment: 15–40 hours/week

Role Responsibilities

• Write expert-level prompts across specialized cybersecurity topics.
• Evaluate and annotate model responses for technical accuracy and appropriate handling of sensitive content.
• Apply structured guidelines to classify prompts and conversations.
• Strengthen the handling of specialized cybersecurity topics in AI models.
• Work independently and asynchronously to meet deadlines while improving AI model safety.

Qualifications Must-Have

• A Bachelor's degree or Master's in Computer Science or a related field, or 5+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Strong understanding of cybersecurity concepts and modern software systems.
• Strong technical reasoning and writing in English.
• Sound judgment around security and responsible handling of dual-use information.

Preferred

• Background in offensive security, penetration testing, vulnerability research, or related areas.
• Experience reviewing, grading, or red-teaming technical content.

Start Date

Immediate