Data Infrastructure Developer (C++)

Alignerr; New York (NY); Remote; USD 96,000 - 165,000; Part time

Job summary

Alignerr is seeking a seasoned C++ engineer for a remote contract to design and optimize high-performance data pipelines, annotation tooling, and evaluation systems used by AI labs. The role offers 20-40 hours per week and emphasizes correctness, performance, and scalability.

You will work on production-grade C++ systems, contribute to binary serialization formats, and implement zero-copy data exchange mechanisms in a collaborative, research-driven environment.

Qualifications

• 3-5+ years of production-grade C++ experience.
• Strong systems programming background with full-stack development experience.
• Expert-level knowledge of binary serialization formats.
• Experience implementing zero-copy data exchange protocols in high-throughput environments.
• Fluent English communication, both written and spoken.
• Self-directed and reliable, able to commit 20-40 hours per week.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and optimize high-performance C++ systems for large-scale AI pipelines and evaluation workflows.
• Develop full-stack tooling and backend services for data annotation, validation, and quality control.
• Implement efficient binary serialization formats and zero-copy data exchange protocols for high-speed pipelines.
• Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks, edge cases, and reliability issues in complex C++ codebases.
• Collaborate with data, research, and engineering teams to support model training and evaluation workflows.
• Participate in design reviews to iterate on system architecture and implementation decisions.

Skills

C++

Systems programming

Full-stack development

Binary serialization

Zero-copy data exchange

English

Job description

About The Role

What if your C++ expertise could directly shape the infrastructure powering the next generation of AI? We're looking for a seasoned C++ engineer to build and optimize the high-performance data pipelines, annotation tooling, and evaluation systems that leading AI labs depend on every day.

About The Role

What if your C++ expertise could directly shape the infrastructure powering the next generation of AI? We're looking for a seasoned C++ engineer to build and optimize the high-performance data pipelines, annotation tooling, and evaluation systems that leading AI labs depend on every day.

This is a fully remote contract role with meaningful, technically challenging work - not maintenance tickets and legacy refactors. You'll be working on real production systems at the frontier of AI development, collaborating with research and engineering teams who care deeply about correctness, performance, and scale.

• Organization: Alignerr
• Type: Hourly Contract
• Location: Remote
• Commitment: 20-40 hours/week

What You'll Do

• Design, build, and optimize high-performance C++ systems supporting large-scale AI data pipelines and evaluation workflows
• Develop full-stack tooling and backend services for data annotation, validation, and quality control
• Implement efficient binary serialization formats and zero-copy data exchange protocols for high-speed pipelines
• Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks, edge cases, and reliability issues across complex C++ codebases
• Collaborate with data, research, and engineering teams to support model training and evaluation workflows
• Participate in synchronous design reviews to iterate on system architecture and implementation decisions

Who You Are

• 3-5+ years of professional experience writing production-grade C++
• Strong systems programming background with full-stack development experience
• Expert-level knowledge of efficient binary serialization formats
• Hands-on experience implementing zero-copy data exchange protocols in high-throughput environments
• Native or fluent English speaker with clear written and verbal communication skills
• Self-directed and reliable - able to commit 20-40 hours per week and deliver quality work independently

Nice to Have

• Prior experience with data annotation pipelines, data quality systems, or model evaluation infrastructure
• Familiarity with AI/ML workflows, model training, or benchmarking
• Experience with distributed systems or developer tooling at scale

Why Join Us

• Work directly with leading AI research labs on systems that matter
• Fully remote and flexible - structure your week around your best work
• Freelance autonomy with the depth and consistency of long-term, high-impact projects
• Build infrastructure that sits at the frontier of AI development - not toy problems
• Potential for ongoing work and contract extension as new projects launch