Senior AI Research Engineer, Model Inference

Join Tether and Shape the Future of Digital Finance

At Tether, we're not just building products, we're pioneering a global financial revolution. Our cutting-edge solutions empower businesses—from exchanges and wallets to payment processors and ATMs—to seamlessly integrate reserve-backed tokens across blockchains. By harnessing the power of blockchain technology, Tether enables you to store, send, and receive digital tokens instantly, securely, and globally, all at a fraction of the cost. Transparency is the bedrock of everything we do, ensuring trust in every transaction.

Innovate with Tether

Tether Finance: Our innovative product suite features the world's most trusted stablecoin, USDT, relied upon by hundreds of millions worldwide, alongside pioneering digital asset tokenization services.

But that's just the beginning:

Tether Power: Driving sustainable growth, our energy solutions optimize excess power for Bitcoin mining using eco-friendly practices in state-of-the-art, geo-diverse facilities.

Tether Data: Fueling breakthroughs in AI and peer-to-peer technology, we reduce infrastructure costs and enhance global communications with cutting-edge solutions like KEET, our flagship app that redefines secure and private data sharing.

Tether Education: Democratizing access to top-tier digital learning, we empower individuals to thrive in the digital and gig economies, driving global growth and opportunity.

Tether Evolution: At the intersection of technology and human potential, we are pushing the boundaries of what is possible, crafting a future where innovation and human capabilities merge in powerful, unprecedented ways.

Why Join Us?

Our team is a global talent powerhouse, working remotely from every corner of the world. If you're passionate about making a mark in the fintech space, this is your opportunity to collaborate with some of the brightest minds, pushing boundaries and setting new standards. We've grown fast, stayed lean, and secured our place as a leader in the industry.

If you have excellent English communication skills and are ready to contribute to the most innovative platform on the planet, Tether is the place for you.

Are you ready to be part of the future?

About the job:

We are looking for an experienced AI Model Engineer with deep expertise in kernel development, model optimization, fine-tuning, and GPU acceleration. The engineer will extend the inference framework to support inference and fine-tuning for Language models with a strong focus on mobile and integrated GPU acceleration (Vulkan).

This role requires hands-on experience with quantization techniques, LoRA architectures, Vulkan backend, and mobile GPU debugging. You will play a critical role in pushing the boundaries of desktop and on-device inference and fine-tuning performance for next-generation SLM/LLMs.

• Implement and optimize custom inference and fine-tuning kernels for small and large language models across multiple hardware backends.
• Implement and optimize full and LoRA fine-tuning for small and large language models across multiple hardware backends.
• Design and extend datatype and precision support (int, float, mixed precision, ternary QTypes, etc.).
• Design, customize, and optimize Vulkan compute shaders for quantized operators and fine-tuning workflows.
• Investigate and resolve GPU acceleration issues on Vulkan and integrated/mobile GPUs.
• Architect and prepare support for advanced quantization techniques to improve efficiency and memory usage.
• Debug and optimize GPU operators (e.g., int8, fp16, fp4, ternary).
• Integrate and validate quantization workflows for training and inference.
• Conduct evaluation and benchmarking (e.g., perplexity testing, fine-tuned adapter performance).
• Conduct GPU testing across desktop and mobile devices.
• Collaborate with research and engineering teams to prototype, benchmark, and scale new model optimization methods.
• Deliver production-grade, efficient language model deployment for mobile and edge use cases.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams to integrate optimized serving and inference frameworks into production pipelines designed for edge and on-device applications. Define clear success metrics such as improved real-world performance, low error rates, robust scalability, optimal memory usage and ensure continuous monitoring and iterative refinements for sustained improvements.
• Proficiency in C++ and GPU kernel programming.
• Proven Expertise in GPU acceleration with Vulkan framework.
• Strong background in quantization and mixed-precision model optimization.
• Experience and Expertise in Vulkan compute shader development and customization.
• Familiarity with LoRA fine-tuning and parameter-efficient training methods.
• Ability to debug GPU-specific performance and stability issues on desktop and mobile devices.
• Hands-on experience with mobile GPU acceleration and model inference.
• Familiarity with large language model architectures (e.g., Qwen, Gemma, LLaMA, Falcon etc.).
• Experience implementing custom backward operators for fine-tuning.
• Experience creating and curating custom datasets for style transfer and domain-specific fine-tuning.
• Demonstrated ability to apply empirical research to overcome challenges in model development.

• Apply only through our official channels. We do not use third-party platforms or agencies for recruitment unless clearly stated. All open roles are listed on our official careers page: https://tether.recruitee.com/
• Verify the recruiter's identity. All our recruiters have verified LinkedIn profiles. If you're unsure, you can confirm their identity by checking their profile or contacting us through our website.
• Be cautious of unusual communication methods. We do not conduct interviews over WhatsApp, Telegram, or SMS. All communication is done through official company emails and platforms.
• Double-check email addresses. All communication from us will come from emails ending in @tether.to or @tether.io
• We will never request payment or financial details. If someone asks for personal financial information or payment at any point during the hiring process, it is a scam. Please report it immediately.

When in doubt, feel free to reach out through our official website.