Performance Engineer at Mercor

Performance Engineer | $100–130/hr | Remote (US) | Full-Time W-2

Join a leading AI lab's GenAI team and play a central role in the AI revolution. We're looking for a skilled Performance Engineer with deep expertise in low-level systems optimization to help shape the training and inference infrastructure powering the most advanced Large Language Models available today.

This is a W-2 full-time engagement (40 hrs/week) through Cincinnatus LLC, placed directly within a top-tier AI lab's extended workforce. No conflicts or concurrent engagements are permitted.

Key Responsibilities

• Guide research and engineering teams to close knowledge gaps in systems-level optimization, compiler engineering, and runtime performance.
• Design challenging, domain-relevant tasks and write accurate, well-structured solutions to performance engineering problems.
• Evaluate performance engineering tasks and provide clear, detailed written technical feedback.
• Develop guidelines and evaluation rubrics to assess systems design quality across AI workloads.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts to ensure consistency and accuracy in AI training data.

Core Qualifications

• 2+ years of professional experience in performance engineering, systems programming, or low-level optimization.
• Deep hands-on expertise in at least one of: C++, Python, or Rust — familiarity across all three is a strong plus.
• Proven track record of measurable performance improvements in production systems (e.g., latency reduction, throughput gains, memory optimization).
• Demonstrable career progression in a relevant technical field.
• Availability for at least 30 hours/week during weekdays.
• Strong written communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical decisions clearly.

About Cincinnatus LLC

Cincinnatus LLC is an enterprise staffing company partnering with leading technology firms to place highly skilled professionals in high-impact contract roles. Cincinnatus serves as the employer of record, providing W-2 employment, payroll, benefits, and compliance support.

Cincinnatus LLC is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic.