Principal Rust Engineer (Rust)

TL;DR

Principal Rust Engineer (Rust/Language Runtime): Building a production language runtime, including the compiler, virtual machine, and application server with an accent on async performance and system correctness. Focus on implementing a register-based VM, extending a multi-stage compiler pipeline, and maintaining a high-scale Tokio-based async runtime.

Location: Hybrid Burlington, MA. Must be based in the United States.

Salary: $170,000 - $189,000

Company

A trusted provider of software that enables customers to develop, deploy, and manage AI-powered applications.

What you will do

• Implement and optimize an async register-based virtual machine with cooperative scheduling and built-in function dispatch.
• Extend a multi-stage compiler pipeline including lexer, parser, AST, IR, and codegen.
• Develop and maintain a binary wire protocol implementation, including TLS, authentication, and connection pooling.
• Maintain a Tokio-based async runtime handling thousands of concurrent requests.
• Manage a large multi-crate Cargo workspace, ensuring dependency hygiene and CI performance.
• Mentor senior engineers in adopting Rust through teaching-oriented code reviews and pair programming.

Requirements

• 10+ years of overall software engineering experience.
• 5+ years of production Rust experience in systems software (runtimes, compilers, databases, or networking).
• Proven experience with compilers or language runtimes (parser, AST/IR, bytecode compiler, or VM).
• Expertise in async Rust at scale, specifically using Tokio and shared-state concurrency.
• Ability to read large C codebases and derive correct Rust implementations.
• CS degree or equivalent in data structures, algorithms, OS, and compilers.

Nice to have

• Experience with VM design (opcode dispatch, register allocation).
• Binary protocol reverse-engineering and zero-copy parsing.
• Property-based testing (proptest, quickcheck).
• Experience with concurrent data structures (DashMap, Moka, lock-free patterns).
• Knowledge of Axum, Tower, or WebSocket server implementations.

Culture & Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP).
• Flexible paid vacation time and paid day off for your birthday.
• Tuition reimbursement program and employee well-being programs.
• Parental leave and a diverse, global team culture.