Machine Learning Engineer - LLM & Agentic Code Intelligence

IR Labs is the innovation lab inside Integrated Research where small, cross‑functional squads chase outsized, industry‑defining opportunities. We operate like a funded startup—rapid sprints, bold experimentation, zero bureaucracy—backed by the global footprint and resources of a public company. Our charter is simple: turn cutting‑edge AI research into products that customers can’t imagine working without. We target the hardest problems in software and then move fast to ship solutions that create 10x impact. If you thrive on autonomy, crave world‑class technical challenges, and want to see your ideas hit production quickly, IR Labs is your launch pad. Join us and help build the future—one breakthrough at a time.

What You’ll Do

• Architect and lead the agentic LLM stack from research prototype to production—balancing state-of-the-art methods with latency, cost, and security.
• Train, distill, and align code-focused language models using LoRA/QLoRA, distillation, and RLHF/RLAIF to hit aggressive efficiency targets.
• Build secure multi-tool agents that orchestrate compilers, linters, search, and knowledge graphs via function-calling frameworks with strong guardrails.
• Generate and curate high-quality datasets via fuzzing, mutation, and self-instruct loops; close label gaps with active-learning and retraining.
• Enrich model inputs and evaluation with low-level code representations (AST, CFG, IR).
• Optimize inference and serving with modern stacks (TensorRT-LLM, vLLM, Flash-Attention) and deploy with resource isolation and quotas.
• Instrument and defend the agent runtime against prompt-injection and abuse, ensuring observability and compliance (SOC2/HIPAA/GDPR).
• Collaborate cross-functionally to translate needs into safe, reliable developer-facing features; mentor peers on LLM evaluation and deployment best practices.

What You Bring to the Table

• 8+ years in ML with 5+ years in NLP/LLMs, especially code understanding/generation.
• Proven track record shipping agentic systems coordinating multiple tools/APIs in production.
• Expert in PyTorch (or JAX) with Transformers/PEFT; hands-on CUDA/Triton/XLA experience a plus.
• Demonstrated success compressing and distilling large models while preserving accuracy.
• Hands-on RL optimization (PPO/DPO/ReLoRA) for model/agent alignment under latency budgets.
• Experience with massive code corpora, retrieval pipelines, and data lake/vector store integration.
• Strong security mindset with prompt-injection defenses and red-teaming experience.
• Skilled in observability and cost tracking across GPU clusters.
• Clear communicator and mentor, able to bridge technical trade-offs for diverse stakeholders.

Our job descriptions often reflect our ideal candidate. If you have a strong foundation of relevant skills and a passion for this field, we encourage you to apply, even if you don't check every box.

What We Offer

• High Impact – Ship real features in weeks, not quarters
• Cutting-Edge Tech – Work to solve problems no one has cracked before.
• Remote & Flexible – Work from anywhere with a culture built on trust, autonomy, and balance.
• Growth & Ownership – Own features end-to-end, learn rapidly, and grow with the company as we scale.
• Top-Tier Compensation – Competitive salary, performance bonuses, equity upside, and strong benefits.
• Team & Culture – Small, senior team that values collaboration, creativity, and building something meaningful together.
• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance.
• 401k with Employer Contributions.
• Paid Time Off & Birthday Leave.
• Health Savings Account (HSA) Contributions with High Deductible Health Plan.
• Short-Term/Long-Term Disability Insurance
• And more!

Compensation Range

• $180,000 - $210,000 base
• $53,000 - $63,000 variable compensation

Actual compensation offer to candidate may vary from posted hiring range based upon geographic location, work experience, education, and/or skill level. The pay ratio between base pay and target incentive (if applicable) will be finalized at the offer stage.

At IR we celebrate, support, and thrive on difference for the benefit of our employees, our products, and our community. We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and encourage applications from all suitable candidates; we never discriminate based on race, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or marital, veteran, or disability status.