Software Engineer - Model Performance

About Baseten Baseten powers mission-critical inference for the world's most dynamic AI companies, like Cursor, Notion, OpenEvidence, Abridge, Clay, Gamma and Writer. By uniting applied AI research, flexible infrastructure, and seamless developer tooling, we enable companies operating at the frontier of AI to bring cutting-edge models into production. We're growing quickly and recently raised our $1.5B Series F, led by Altimeter Capital, Conviction Partners, and Spark Capital. Join us and help build the platform engineers turn to to ship AI products. THE ROLE Are you passionate about advancing the application of artificial intelligence? We are looking for a Software Engineer focused on ML performance to join our dynamic team. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced startup environment and is eager to make significant contributions to the exciting field of LLM Inference. If you are a backend engineer who thrives on making things faster and is excited about open-source ML models, we look forward to your application. EXAMPLE INITIATIVES You'll get to work on these types of projects as part of our Model Performance team: Baseten Embeddings Inference: The fastest embeddings solution available The Baseten Inference Stack Driving model performance optimization Responsibilities Implement, refine, and productionize cutting-edge techniques (quantization, speculative decoding, kv cache reuse, chunked prefill and LoRA) for ML model inference and infrastructure. Deep dive into underlying codebases of TensorRT, PyTorch, TensorRT-LLM, vllm, sglang, CUDA, and other libraries to debug ML performance issues. Apply and scale optimization techniques across a wide range of ML models, particularly large language models. Collaborate with a diverse team to design and implement innovative solutions. Own projects from idea to production. Requirements Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or related field. Experience with one or more general-purpose programming languages, such as Python or C++. Familiarity with LLM optimization techniques (e.g., quantization, speculative decoding, continuous batching). Strong familiarity with ML libraries, especially PyTorch, TensorRT, or TensorRT-LLM. Demonstrated interest and experience in LLM’s. Deep understanding of GPU architecture. Bonus: Proficiency in enhancing the performance of software systems, particularly in the context of large language models (LLMs). Experience with CUDA or similar technologies. Deep understanding of software engineering principles and a proven track record of developing and deploying AI/ML inference solutions. Experience with Docker and Kubernetes. Benefits Competitive compensation, including meaningful equity. 100% coverage of medical, dental, and vision insurance for employee and dependents Flexible PTO policy including company wide Winter Break (our offices are closed from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day!) Paid parental leave Fertility and family-building stipend through Carrot Company-facilitated 401(k) Exposure to a variety of ML startups, offering unparalleled learning and networking opportunities. Apply now to embark on a rewarding journey in shaping the future of AI! If you are a motivated individual with a passion for machine learning and a desire to be part of a collaborative and forward-thinking team, we would love to hear from you. At Baseten, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law (by example, the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, where applicable). Compensation Range: $180K - $360K

Implement and productionize advanced techniques for ML model inference and infrastructure. Collaborate with a diverse team to optimize model performance and own projects from idea to production.

Candidates should have a degree in a relevant field and experience with programming languages like Python or C++. Familiarity with LLM optimization techniques and strong knowledge of ML libraries is essential.

• Health Insurance • Stock Options • 401k • Flexible PTO • Paid Parental Leave • Fertility and Family-Building Stipend

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Machine Learning
• Backend Engineering
• Optimization Techniques
• Quantization
• Speculative Decoding
• Continuous Batching
• ML Libraries
• PyTorch
• TensorRT
• CUDA
• Software Engineering Principles
• Docker
• Kubernetes
• GPU Architecture
• Large Language Models
• AI Inference Solutions

• Technology
• Engineering
• Software
• Data & Analytics

Minimum education

Bachelor’s degree

Minimum experience

2+ years

Apply by

Aug 9, 2026

Posting language

English

Working hours

40 hours per week

Seniority

Not Applicable