AlignerrCoding & software eval
Principal Rust Engineer - ML Infrastructure
up to $75/hr
About this role, in Alignerr's words
What if your mastery of Rust could directly shape the infrastructure powering the next generation of AI models? We're looking for a Principal Rust Engineer to build and optimize the high-performance systems that leading AI labs depend on — from data pipelines and annotation tooling to evaluation infrastructure that drives model quality at scale.
What you'll do
- Design, build, and optimize high-performance Rust systems supporting AI data pipelines and model evaluation workflows
- Develop full-stack tooling and backend services for large-scale data annotation, validation, and quality control
- Improve reliability, performance, and safety across production Rust codebases
Show all 6 itemsHide the other 3 in What you'll do
- Identify bottlenecks and edge cases in data and system behavior, then implement scalable, lasting fixes
- Collaborate with data, research, and engineering teams to accelerate model training and evaluation workflows
- Participate in synchronous design reviews to iterate on architecture and implementation decisions
Candidate background
Who You Are
- 5+ years of professional experience writing production-grade Rust for data-intensive applications
- Deep understanding of memory management, ownership semantics, and zero-copy deserialization with minimal runtime overhead
- Experience integrating Rust with machine learning frameworks or columnar data standards (e.g., Arrow, Parquet) to support model training workflows
- Strong written and verbal communication skills in English — you can articulate technical decisions clearly
- Able to commit 20–40 hours per week with a high degree of independence and reliability
Nice to Have
Show all 4 itemsHide these 4 items in Nice to Have
- Prior experience with data annotation systems, data quality pipelines, or AI evaluation infrastructure
- Familiarity with AI/ML workflows, model training, or benchmarking pipelines
- Experience with distributed systems design or developer tooling
- Background in performance profiling and systems observability
Quoted from selected sections of Alignerr's posting. The full posting may state other conditions. Read the full posting
A closer look
More context, when you need it.
Full job descriptionThe original posting, in Alignerr's words
Posted by Alignerr, reproduced here so you can judge the role before clicking. Original posting ↗
Principal Rust Engineer — ML Infrastructure (AI Training)
About the Role
What if your mastery of Rust could directly shape the infrastructure powering the next generation of AI models? We're looking for a Principal Rust Engineer to build and optimize the high-performance systems that leading AI labs depend on — from data pipelines and annotation tooling to evaluation infrastructure that drives model quality at scale.
This is a fully remote, flexible contract role for engineers who know Rust deeply and want to work on problems that actually matter. You'll collaborate directly with research and engineering teams at the frontier of AI development.
- Organization: Alignerr - Type: Hourly Contract - Location: Remote - Commitment: 20–40 hours/week
What You'll Do
* Design, build, and optimize high-performance Rust systems supporting AI data pipelines and model evaluation workflows * Develop full-stack tooling and backend services for large-scale data annotation, validation, and quality control * Improve reliability, performance, and safety across production Rust codebases * Identify bottlenecks and edge cases in data and system behavior, then implement scalable, lasting fixes * Collaborate with data, research, and engineering teams to accelerate model training and evaluation workflows * Participate in synchronous design reviews to iterate on architecture and implementation decisions
Who You Are
* 5+ years of professional experience writing production-grade Rust for data-intensive applications * Deep understanding of memory management, ownership semantics, and zero-copy deserialization with minimal runtime overhead * Experience integrating Rust with machine learning frameworks or columnar data standards (e.g., Arrow, Parquet) to support model training workflows * Strong written and verbal communication skills in English — you can articulate technical decisions clearly * Able to commit 20–40 hours per week with a high degree of independence and reliability
Nice to Have
* Prior experience with data annotation systems, data quality pipelines, or AI evaluation infrastructure * Familiarity with AI/ML workflows, model training, or benchmarking pipelines * Experience with distributed systems design or developer tooling * Background in performance profiling and systems observability
Why Join Us
* Work on real production systems used by leading AI research labs — not toy projects * Fully remote and async-friendly — work from wherever you do your best thinking * Freelance autonomy paired with meaningful, high-impact technical work * Collaborate with world-class engineers and researchers at the cutting edge of AI * Potential for ongoing work and contract extension as new projects launch
Working with AlignerrPay, getting started and work, from Alignerr's own pages
What the platform publishes in general. These are not extra terms confirmed for this particular role.
- Getting paid
- Billed weekly, Monday to Sunday, with approved work paid by the following Friday, according to Labelbox's help center. Payment goes through Stripe Connect or PayPal depending on your location, with one provider per country. intercom.help/labelbox/en/articles/13600616-alignerr-paym..., alignerr.com/process
- Before your first paid task
- Sign up, apply, verify your identity, set up billing and onboard. Some jobs add a Zara AI interview or domain assessments. alignerr.com/process
- How much work
- Time to your first project depends on demand and your skills, and there is no minimum number of hours. alignerr.com/faqs
- Contract
- Independent contractor, under terms with ALIGNERR LLC. alignerr.com/faqs, alignerr.com/privacy
Read on the pages linked above on 24 Sep 2026. Platforms change these terms, so check the linked page before you rely on one.
How does the pay compare?Across Coding & software eval roles, not this role alone
From our own daily reads of every open listing on the platforms we follow, not from Alignerr's posting. How we count.
Pay across the field: Coding & software eval
Across 391 roles in this field with a stated hourly rate in US dollars, on 14 platforms, the middle half pays $65 to $120 an hour at the top of the range, and the median is $95. This role's top rate, $75, is in the middle half. Of the 140 distinct rates we count, 44 are lower and 92 are higher.
| Platform | Roles | Top of range, per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Alignerr (this platform) | 136 | $50 to $400 · median $100 |
| micro1 | 44 | $60 to $350 · median $120 |
| Handshake AI | 43 | $47 to $125 · median $80 |
| Meridial (Invisible) | 34 | $22 to $150 · median $60 |
| Mercor | 33 | $60 to $200 · median $105 |
Sources and listing historyWhere this information comes from
This listing's history
- First seen here on 27 Aug 2026, and still on Alignerr's list when we last read it on 13 Oct 2026.
- The listed pay has not changed since then.
- Posted by Alignerr
- First seen by AIPayList
- Last seen live
- Listing ID
- 0a10c2c7-d5ba-429b-b1f8-1e5244d924b1
Pay as the source states it: “$50-75/hr”.
Platforms sometimes change a rate after posting. Every listing here is re-read at least once a day and corrected when its source moves, so a difference you see on the platform is usually a change made since the last read. How freshness works.
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