Hardware Machine Learning Engineer

IMC; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 200,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Comprehensive health insurance

Job summary

IMC is seeking researchers and engineers to deploy machine learning directly onto custom hardware. You will architect solutions from scratch, influence technical research, and drive real impact in demanding computing environments.

This role offers collaboration with traders, researchers, and software engineers across a high-performance platform. The Base Salary range is provided below; you may also receive a discretionary bonus and comprehensive benefits as part of total compensation.

Qualifications

• Solid understanding of hardware constraints and trade-offs shaping how ML models map to custom hardware.
• Experience with hardware fundamentals via VHDL/SystemVerilog development, HLS tools, or ML-to-hardware frameworks like hls4ml, FINN, or Vitis AI.
• Understanding of machine learning fundamentals – neural networks, inference optimization, quantization; experience with PyTorch/TensorFlow.
• Proficiency in Python, C++, or similar languages for tooling, testing, and simulation.
• Strong communication and collaboration across technical and non-technical teams.

Responsibilities

• Architect and co-design ML models with traders, quant researchers, and software engineers, treating hardware constraints as first-class design inputs.
• Shape our custom hardware roadmap by translating ML model requirements into concrete architectural decisions.
• Work hands-on with hardware engineers to implement, verify, and deploy ML inference solutions from proof-of-concept through production.
• Track and evaluate emerging research in neural architecture search, ML systems and quantization methods, and determine what translates to measurable improvements in our systems.

Skills

Hardware constraints

ML model design

FPGA/ASIC mapping

Python

C++

Team collaboration

Education

MS or PhD in EE/CS/Physics

Tools

hls4ml

FINN

Vitis AI

SystemVerilog

VHDL

Job description

We are deploying machine learning directly onto custom hardware – and we want you to help drive it from the ground up. This is an initiative where you'll have the rare opportunity to architect solutions from scratch, influence technical research direction, and see your work drive real impact in one of the most demanding computing environments in the world.

We build the hardware, the software, and the infrastructure, so when you hit a bottleneck, you can fix it - there's no vendor to wait on and no abstraction layer you're not allowed to touch. If you've ever wanted to push the boundaries of what's computationally possible, this role is for you. We're looking for researchers and experienced engineers from any background. Trading experience is a bonus, not a prerequisite.

Your Core Responsibilities

• Architect and co-design ML models with traders, quant researchers, and software engineers, treating hardware constraints (latency budgets, resource limits, numerical precision) as first-class design inputs
• Shape our custom hardware roadmap by translating ML model requirements into concrete architectural decisions
• Work hands-on with hardware engineers to implement, verify, and deploy ML inference solutions from proof-of-concept through production
• Track and evaluate emerging research in neural architecture search, machine learning systems and quantization methods, and determine what translates to measurable improvements in our systems

Your Skills and Experience

• Solid understanding of hardware constraints and design trade-offs (e.g., pipelining, resource utilization, fixed-point arithmetic) that shape how ML models can be efficiently mapped onto FPGAs or custom ASICs
• Experience with hardware fundamentals, whether through VHDL/SystemVerilog development, HLS tools, or ML-to-hardware frameworks like hls4ml, FINN, or Vitis AI
• Understanding of machine learning fundamentals – neural network architectures, inference optimization, quantization techniques, ML frameworks such as PyTorch/TensorFlow
• Proficiency in Python, C++, or similar languages for tooling, testing, and simulation
• Strong communication skills and ability to work collaboratively across disciplines with both technical and non-technical teams

Nice to Have

• Exposure to ML compiler infrastructure such as MLIR, TVM, XLA, or similar tools for lowering and optimizing models for hardware targets
• Background in latency-sensitive or resource-constrained systems including high-frequency trading, particle physics data acquisition, real-time signal processing, or similar domains
• Familiarity with functional verification methodologies (for example SystemVerilog, UVM, Cocotb)
• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in EE, CS, Physics, or related field, or equivalent depth through industry or research experience

Salary Range

The Base Salary range for the role is included below. Base salary is only one component of total compensation; all full-time, permanent positions are eligible for a discretionary bonus and benefits, including paid leave and insurance. Please visit Benefits - US | IMC Trading for more comprehensive information.

$200,000 — $225,000 USD

About Us

IMC is a research-driven trading firm where quantitative modeling, machine learning, and engineering shape how modern markets are traded. A stabilizing force in markets since 1989, we provide liquidity across trading venues, delivering the best outcome in value and risk management to investors. Using our own technology and capital, we build proprietary systems and algorithms that operate across global markets. Our researchers, traders, and engineers work as a collective, combining rapid experimentation, advanced infrastructure, and real-time feedback to turn insight into execution and execution into advantage.