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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Principal Rust Engineer - Language Runtime - **Company:** Progress Software Corporation - **Location:** Burlington, MA, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $170,000.0 - $189,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Server Applications, Software Applications, Compilers, Code Review, Databases, Data Structures, Database Connection, Software Design Documents, Programming Tools, Digital Architecture, Pair Programming, Parsing, Prometheus, Software Engineering, Virtual Machines, WebSocket, Bytecode, Data Layers - **Published:** July 11, 2026 - **Apply:** https://jobs.localjobnetwork.com/apply/add/87418922/1 ## About the Role * Overall 10+ years of Software Engineering Experience * 5+ years production Rust in systems software (runtimes, compilers, databases, or networking). * Compiler or language runtime experience - at least one of: parser, AST/IR, bytecode compiler, VM, or interpreter. * Async Rust at scale - Tokio, shared-state concurrency, cancellation safety. * Large multi-crate workspace fluency. * Ability to read large C codebases and derive correct Rust implementations. * Mentorship mindset - patience, clear communication, progressive handoff. * Long-term ownership orientation - multi-year commitment. * Excellent written and verbal English. * CS degree or equivalent (data structures, algorithms, OS, compilers) Additionally, it would be beneficial if you have: * VM design - opcode dispatch, cooperative scheduling, register allocation. * Binary protocol reverse-engineering and zero-copy parsing. * Property-based testing (proptest, quickcheck). * Concurrent data structures - DashMap, Moka, lock-free patterns. * Axum / Tower / WebSocket server experience. * Developer tooling protocols (LSP, DAP). * Observability - tracing, OpenTelemetry, Prometheus. * Database connectivity - pooling, transactions, schema resolution. * Experience onboarding engineering teams into Rust. * AI-assisted development tools (Copilot, Claude). ## Description We are Progress (Nasdaq: PRGS) - the trusted provider of software that enables our customers to develop, deploy and manage responsible, AI-powered applications and experiences with agility and ease. We're proud to have a diverse, global team where we value the individual and enrich our culture by considering varied perspectives because we believe people power progress. Join us as Principal Rust Engineer - Language Runtime and help us do what we do best: propelling business forward. This will be a hybrid role so working between your home office and our Burlington, MA headquarters. We are building a production language runtime in Rust - compiler, virtual machine, wire protocol client, and application server. You will join as a long-term technical owner of this system, working alongside experienced platform architects and a second FTE Rust engineer. In this role, you will: Runtime & VM * Implement and optimize an async register-based virtual machine with cooperative scheduling and built-in function dispatch. * Translate language semantics from a reference C implementation into idiomatic, correct Rust. Compiler * Extend a multi-stage compiler pipeline (lexer, parser, AST, IR, codegen). * Deliver new language features end-to-end with conformance and property-based tests. Protocol & Data Layer * Extend a binary wire protocol implementation reverse-engineered from C source. * Own TLS, authentication, and connection pooling. Async & Networking * Maintain a Tokio-based async runtime handling thousands of concurrent requests with shared state and admission control. * Contribute to HTTP, WebSocket, and gRPC server layers. Engineering & Build * Manage a large multi-crate Cargo workspace - dependency hygiene, CI performance, and release engineering. Team Enablement * Mentor senior engineers (20+ years platform experience) adopting Rust - teaching-oriented code reviews, pair programming, and progressive ownership handoff. * Document architecture decisions and maintain design docs as first-class deliverables. ## Related Videos - [Just-in-time Compilation in JVM](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/240-just-in-time-compilation-in-jvm) - [A Love Letter to Rust](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/177-a-love-letter-to-rust) - [Tips and Tricks for Working with JSON](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1229-tips-and-tricks-for-working-with-json) - [Building a Compiler with C#](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/116-building-a-compiler-with-c) - [Intermediate Bitcoin Script](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/25-intermediate-bitcoin-script) - [Rust Beyond Systems: Revolutionizing Web Development](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1111-rust-beyond-systems-revolutionizing-web-development) ## Related Articles - [4 reasons why you should learn Rust in 2021 – and maybe even have fun doing it](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/35-4-reasons-why-you-should-learn-rust-in-2021-and-maybe-even-have-fun-doing-it) - [Building AI Solutions with Rust and Docker](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/494-building-ai-solutions-with-rust-and-docker) - [Top in-demand programming languages to learn in 2021](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/30-top-in-demand-programming-languages-to-learn-in-2021) - [Dev Digest 121 - AI goes offline](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/456-dev-digest-121-ai-goes-offline) - [Dev Digest 120 - Apple and peers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/455-dev-digest-120-apple-and-peers) - [Dev Digest 131 - AI'm not sure about OSS](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/472-dev-digest-131-ai-m-not-sure-about-oss)