# Software Engineer, Applied AI

**Company:** [Mercor](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/mercor)
**Location:** San Francisco, CA
**Role:** ML Engineering
**Salary:** $130k – $500k/yr
**Skills:** Python, Go, Rust, Model Training, Model Inference, Statistical Analysis, Experimental Design, LLMs, Data Pipelines, Synthetic Data Generation
**Posted:** 2026-04-21

> Builds and operates scalable data pipelines and systems for post-training workflows, model evaluations, and synthetic data generation. Partners with frontier AI labs and customers, requiring strong backend skills in Python/Go/Rust and ML evaluation expertise.

## Job Description

## What You’ll Do
- Partner closely with frontier AI labs to understand their data, post-training, and evaluation needs
- Build and operate scalable data pipelines for post-training workflows and model evaluations
- Design and build scalable systems for synthetic data generation and data quality, and work directly with customers to understand requirements and develop technical solutions
- Prototype new data types, benchmarks, and evaluation frameworks
- Lead technical discussions with customers

## What We’re Looking For
**Strong backend engineering fundamentals** in a modern language (**Python**, **Go**, **Rust**, etc.)
- Experience with **model training** and **inference**
- Strong grounding in **statistical analysis** and **experimental design** for measuring model performance and improvements
- Familiarity with **evaluation methods** for **large language models**
- Comfort working through ambiguity and shipping iteratively

**You’re likely someone who:**
- Enjoys ownership and customer-facing problem solving
- Thinks entrepreneurially and moves quickly
- Balances speed with engineering rigor
- Communicates clearly with technical and non-technical users

## Benefits
- Bi-annual performance bonus structure
- Generous equity grant vested over 4 years
- Up to $15k Relocation bonus
- $10K housing bonus (if you live within 0.5 miles of our office)
- $1.5K monthly stipend for meals
- Free Equinox membership
- $200 monthly laundry reimbursement
- $200 monthly personal wellness reimbursement
- Health, Dental, Vision insurance

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**Canonical:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/c57814db-90f1-4f3a-bc4f-bc5f4d13f13a