Backend Engineer, Consumer Devices

Details

The Software Engineering team designs and builds scalable, performant, and secure backend systems that power products from early prototypes to large-scale deployments. The team collaborates closely with product, hardware, and full-stack teams to support rapid iteration and long-term growth.

As a Backend Engineer, you will design and build services, APIs, and infrastructure that support evolving product needs. You will apply a deep understanding of backend systems while maintaining end-to-end context from hardware to cloud to guide technical decisions. This role is based in San Francisco, California, and follows a hybrid work model with four days in the office per week.

Responsibilities

• Architect, build, and maintain high-performance, secure backend systems.
• Design APIs, data models, and infrastructure to support evolving product needs.
• Balance near-term development velocity with long-term maintainability and scalability.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure cohesive, end-to-end solutions.

Requirements

• 7+ years of professional software engineering experience, with a focus on backend systems.
• Proven track record of building and scaling systems from early stage to large scale.
• Proficiency with Python and Go.
• Familiarity with a range of server-side technologies.
• Strong understanding of system design, performance optimization, and security best practices.
• Ability to reason about full-stack tradeoffs from hardware through cloud infrastructure.

Nice to Have

• Experience with distributed systems and cloud architectures.
• Background in instrumentation, analytics, and performance tuning.
• Familiarity with hardware-cloud integrations or applied AI services.

Benefits

• Salary range of $293,000–$325,000 per year, plus equity.
• Performance-related bonuses for eligible employees.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts.
• Pre-tax accounts for health and dependent care expenses, as well as commuter expenses.
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match.
• Paid parental, medical, and caregiver leave.
• Paid time off, paid company holidays, office closures, and paid sick or safe time as required by law.
• Mental health and wellness support.
• Employer-paid basic life and disability coverage.
• Annual learning and development stipend.
• Daily office meals and eligible meal delivery credits.
• Relocation support for eligible employees.
• Additional taxable fringe benefits may include charitable donation matching and wellness stipends.

OpenAI is an equal opportunity employer committed to reasonable accommodations and compliance with applicable employment laws.