Strategic Risk & Analysis (National Security/Defense) – Safety Specialist

Role Description

At Mercor, we believe the foundation of AI safety is high-quality human data. Models can’t evaluate themselves — they need humans who can apply structured judgment to complex, nuanced outputs.

We’re building a flexible pod of Safety specialists: contributors from both technical and non-technical backgrounds who will serve as expert data annotators. This pod will annotate and evaluate AI behaviors to ensure the systems are safe.

No prior annotation experience is required — instead, we’re looking for people with the ability to make careful, consistent decisions in ambiguous situations.

This role may include reviewing AI outputs that touch on sensitive topics such as bias, misinformation, or harmful behaviors. All work is text-based, and participation in higher-sensitivity projects is optional and supported by clear guidelines and wellness resources.

What You’ll Do

• Produce high-quality human data by annotating AI outputs against safety criteria (e.g., bias, misinformation, disallowed content, unsafe reasoning, etc).
• Apply harm taxonomies and guidelines consistently, even when tasks are ambiguous.
• Document your reasoning to improve guidelines.
• Collaborate to provide the human data that powers AI safety research, model improvements, and risk audits.

Qualifications

• You bring experience from national security, defense operations, government policy, or high-stakes communications.
• You’ve handled crisis management, policy briefings, congressional or executive-level communications, or large-scale operations.
• You excel at structured risk framing: spotting vulnerabilities early and communicating them clearly to decision-makers.
• You’re comfortable applying that mindset to the emerging risks of AI systems.
• Examples of past titles: Intelligence Officer/Analyst, Policy Advisor, Strategic Communications Specialist, Crisis Operations Manager, National Security Analyst, Foreign Affairs Specialist, Defense Policy Analyst, Government Relations Officer, Operations Planner, Legislative Analyst, Counterintelligence Officer.

What Success Looks Like

• Your annotations are accurate, high-quality and consistent, even across ambiguous cases.
• You help surface risks early that automated tools miss.
• Guidelines and taxonomies improve based on your feedback.
• The data you produce directly strengthens AI model safety and compliance.

Benefits

• Apply your national security or high-stakes communications expertise to a rapidly growing, high-impact field.
• Work at the frontier of AI safety, where your structured risk mindset is directly relevant.
• Be part of a team committed to making AI systems safer, trustworthy, and aligned with human values.