Cybersecurity Expert

Role Overview

Mercor is partnering with leading AI labs to engage experienced cybersecurity professionals — security analysts, penetration testers, incident responders, threat intelligence specialists, and security architects — to improve AI systems' reasoning around threat detection, vulnerability assessment, and security operations. Contributors will apply their expertise in areas such as network security, endpoint detection and response, cloud security, and security compliance frameworks to evaluate and enhance AI performance on cybersecurity-specific tasks. This is a project-based opportunity with potential for ongoing engagement depending on performance and project needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Review and evaluate AI-generated outputs related to threat analysis, vulnerability assessment, security incident triage, and security architecture recommendations

• Create realistic scenarios based on cybersecurity workflows — incident response runbooks, threat hunting queries, penetration testing reports, security control assessments, and SOC analyst decision trees

• Annotate, label, and validate data across cybersecurity use cases (e.g., CVE classification accuracy, attack vector identification, SIEM alert triage, malware behavior analysis)

• Provide structured feedback on AI accuracy in areas such as cybersecurity frameworks (NIST CSF, MITRE ATT&CK, CIS Controls, ISO 27001), threat intelligence standards (STIX/TAXII), and industry-specific security terminology

• Collaborate asynchronously with research teams to refine evaluation frameworks for cybersecurity AI

Ideal Qualifications

• 3+ years of professional experience in cybersecurity at an enterprise organization, managed security service provider (MSSP), consultancy, or government/defense environment

• Background in one or more areas such as:

  • Security operations center (SOC) analysis or incident response (DFIR)

  • Penetration testing or red team operations

  • Threat intelligence or threat hunting

  • Security architecture, cloud security (AWS/Azure/GCP), or zero-trust design

  • Governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) — NIST, ISO 27001, SOC 2, FedRAMP

• Professional certifications a plus (CISSP, CISM, CEH, OSCP, GIAC certifications, Security+)

• Strong analytical thinking and ability to translate security operations and architecture workflows into structured evaluation tasks

• Clear written communication and attention to detail

Compensation Note

• Task Completion Pay: Competitive and based on task quality (~$1,750 – $2,150 per completed task, subject to change as the project evolves)

• Performance Bonus: Top performers receive a weekly bonus incentive on top of their per task rate!

• Hourly Opportunity: Top performers may be invited to transition to an hourly compensation model based on sustained quality and throughput.

We consider all qualified applicants without regard to legally protected characteristics and provide reasonable accommodations upon request.

Contract and Payment Terms

• You will be engaged as an independent contractor.
• This is a fully remote role that can be completed on your own schedule.
• Projects can be extended, shortened, or concluded early depending on needs and performance.
• Your work at Mercor will not involve access to confidential or proprietary information from any employer, client, or institution.
• Payments are weekly on Stripe or Wise based on services rendered.
• Please note: We are unable to support H1-B or STEM OPT candidates at this time.

About Mercor

Mercor partners with leading AI labs and enterprises to train frontier models using human expertise. You will work on projects that focus on training and enhancing AI systems. You will be paid competitively, collaborate with leading researchers, and help shape the next generation of AI systems in your area of expertise.