Part‑time Penetration Tester – Remote (up to $2,150 per task)

About the role

Mercor is seeking an experienced cybersecurity professional to evaluate AI‑generated security outputs on a contract basis. This remote, part‑time position focuses on reviewing threat analysis, vulnerability assessments, and security architecture recommendations.

Key responsibilities

• Review and assess AI‑generated threat analysis, vulnerability assessment, and security architecture outputs.
• Create realistic cybersecurity scenarios, including incident response runbooks, threat‑hunting queries, and penetration‑testing reports.
• Annotate, label, and validate data for use cases such as CVE classification accuracy and SIEM alert triage.
• Provide structured feedback on AI accuracy against frameworks like NIST CSF, MITRE ATT&CK, and standards such as STIX/TAXII.
• Collaborate asynchronously with research teams to refine evaluation frameworks.

Required profile

• 3+ years of professional experience in cybersecurity within an enterprise, MSSP, consultancy, or government/defense environment.
• Background in SOC analysis, incident response (DFIR), penetration testing, threat intelligence, or security architecture.
• Strong analytical thinking and ability to translate security operations into structured evaluation tasks.
• Clear written communication and meticulous attention to detail.

Required skills

• Penetration testing
• Threat hunting
• Incident response
• CVE classification
• SIEM alert triage
• NIST CSF
• MITRE ATT&CK
• STIX/TAXII
• Security architecture
• SOC analysis

What we offer

• Task‑based compensation ranging from $1,750 to $2,150 per completed task.
• Performance bonuses for top weekly performers.
• Potential transition to hourly compensation for sustained quality work.