Compute Business Operations Lead

Details

OpenAI’s Industrial Compute team is responsible for securing and scaling the core resources that power our research and products. The team partners across engineering, finance, legal, and operations to identify, negotiate, and execute strategic partnerships that expand OpenAI’s capacity for compute, power, and data center infrastructure. The mandate spans energy procurement, real estate development, colocation, cloud service providers, and silicon vendors—ensuring OpenAI can grow with speed, resilience, and cost-efficiency.

This role is based in San Francisco, CA and uses a hybrid work model (3 days in office per week). Relocation assistance is offered for new employees.

Responsibilities

• Take end-to-end ownership of critical compute initiatives that span multiple teams and functions.
• Shape and operationalize programs that support OpenAI’s infrastructure scale-up, turning one-off efforts into repeatable systems.
• Collaborate with internal technical, product, finance, and operations teams and external compute partners to align priorities and deliver results.
• Build clear frameworks, reporting, and communication channels that help leadership make informed decisions.
• Identify gaps in planning and execution across the compute lifecycle, and design solutions that endure as the organization scales.
• Serve as a trusted partner to leadership, helping scope, prioritize, and execute the most important cross-functional compute projects.

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in strategy, business operations, private equity, management consulting, venture capital, or similar fields, with 2+ years operating inside a company.
• Demonstrated ability to bring clarity and structure to ambiguous problems and drive them to completion in fast-moving environments with multiple stakeholders and objectives.
• Ability to anticipate future challenges and solve them with strong ownership, initiative, and agency.
• Proficiency building systems and processes that scale long-term.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to communicate clearly with executives, engineers, and operators and adapt messaging to the audience.
• Highly analytical and comfortable using data to inform decisions.
• Comfortable moving between strategy and detail, balancing long-term vision with day-to-day execution.
• Proven ability to build trust quickly and collaborate across functions.
• Interest in and alignment with OpenAI’s mission and the challenge of scaling world-class compute infrastructure.

Benefits

• Base pay indicated: $310,000 (role also offers equity and other compensation components).
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts.
• Pre-tax accounts for Health FSA, Dependent Care FSA, and commuter expenses.
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match.
• Paid parental leave (up to 24 weeks for birth parents and 20 weeks for non-birthing parents) and paid medical/caregiver leave.
• Flexible PTO for exempt employees and paid time off for non-exempt employees.
• 13+ paid company holidays and additional company office closures throughout the year.
• Mental health and wellness support, employer-paid basic life and disability coverage.
• Annual learning and development stipend, daily meals in offices, meal delivery credits as eligible, and relocation support for eligible employees.
• Background checks administered in accordance with applicable law; reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities.