Staff Rust Developer

AI Chopping Block; New York, Northern (NY, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health and dental insurance

401(k)

GPU provided (if needed)

Job summary

AI Chopping Block is seeking a Rust-focused developer to own high-performance parsing and compiler components. You will translate team ideas into production-ready Rust, with bindings to Python and C/C++ when needed, and harden the engine with automated benchmarks.

Join a remote-first startup that values fast iteration, clear communication, and impactful contributions. Expect competitive compensation and stock options in a globally distributed team.

Qualifications

• Proven Rust experience leading complex, collaborative projects.
• Track record of well-tested, high-performance software.
• Expertise with code profiling and debugging.
• Multi-language proficiency: CUDA, C/C++, Rust/Python bindings.
• Collaborative mindset and startup-friendly communication.

Responsibilities

• Project Leadership: Initiate and drive Rust projects from conception through deployment.
• Performance Engineering: Write and optimize parsing code with a strong emphasis on performance, supported by automated benchmarking.
• Data Structures & Algorithms: Design, implement, and debug grammars, efficient parsers, automata, and text indexing.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with other teams to production-ready Rust.
• Tooling & CI/CD: Profiling, debugging, and CI to maintain code quality.

Skills

Rust Experience

Performance Dev

Profiling & Debugging

Multi-language Bindings

Collaborative Mindset

Tools

CUDA

C/C++

Rust-Python bindings

Job description

.txt builds structured generation: we make language models produce output that follows a given format, by deciding at every decoding step which tokens are allowed. We compile a JSON Schema, a regex, a grammar, a list of function definitions or a policy into that decision, fast enough to run inside the decoding loop. This is how .txt builds reliable and safe agents. We're looking for a developer to work on the parsers and compilers at the center of it.

The Role

.txt builds structured generation: we make language models produce output that follows a given format, by deciding at every decoding step which tokens are allowed. We compile a JSON Schema, a regex, a grammar, a list of function definitions or a policy into that decision, fast enough to run inside the decoding loop. This is how .txt builds reliable and safe agents. We're looking for a Rust developer to own the part of it that has to be fast: the automata, indexes and parsers that run at every decoding step. You'd turn what the rest of the team writes into production-ready Rust, with the Python bindings and C++/CUDA glue to put it inside an inference engine, and the benchmarks to prove it stays fast.

What You Will Do

• Project Leadership: Initiate and drive the development of mission-critical Rust projects from conception through deployment.

• Performance Engineering: Write and optimize parsing code with a strong emphasis on performance, supported by automated benchmarking.

• Data Structures & Algorithms: Ability to design, implement, and readily debug formal grammars, efficient parsers, standard and non-standard automata, and general text-based indexing/search.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with other teams to integration their work into production-ready Rust.

• Tooling & CI/CD: Utilize advanced profiling, debugging, and continuous integration tools to maintain and enhance code quality in non-trivial and consistent ways.

About You

• Proven Rust Experience: Demonstrated ability to lead and contribute to sophisticated, collaborative Rust projects.

• Professional Development Skills: A track record of developing well-tested, high-performance software.

• Tooling Expertise: Expertise with code profiling and debugging. Experience with automated workflows in CI.

• Multi-language Proficiency: Ability to learn and/or work with the following technologies: CUDA, C/C++, Rust/Python bindings.

• A Collaborative Mindset: Excellent communication skills and a proactive approach, ideally suited for an early-stage startup culture.

Why You Should Join Us:

The problem matters
Every agent that takes real actions needs a layer that guarantees it can only do what it was asked. The parser and compiler work in this role is what enables this guarantee.

Remote first
Work from anywhere in the world. We communicate mostly in writing and favor occasional organic discussions over recurring large team meetings.

Competitive compensation and benefits
Market-rate salary plus stock options, health and dental insurance, and a 401(k) for US employees. We'll also get you a GPU if you don't have one.

Location

.txt is a fully remote company with the majority of the team in the US and EU.

To facilitate real-time collaboration, we require team members to be available, on a daily basis, for at least 3 hours of overlap with morning New York City (Eastern Time Zone) business hours, 8am - 1pm.