Economist

Details

About the Team

The economics team works to improve understanding of an AI-driven economy.

About the Role

OpenAI is seeking a highly technical Economist to join its Economic Research team studying the real-world economic impacts of AI. This role is designed for economists with up to five years of professional experience after completing a PhD who are interested in using novel, large-scale datasets to study how AI is reshaping economic systems.

The successful candidate will have deep expertise in at least one core domain relevant to AI's economic impact and an interest in contributing to a broader research agenda spanning labor markets, firm behavior, market dynamics, and macroeconomic change. This is an individual contributor role involving the organization and execution of independent, data-oriented projects.

The role sits at the intersection of economic research, data science, and public policy, producing rigorous empirical work that informs decision-makers across the public sector, industry, and government.

Research Areas of Interest

• Economic measurement of AI impact, including adoption trajectories, labor market transitions, productivity growth, and forecasting or scenario modeling for AI-driven economic change
• Macroeconomic implications of AI, including productivity, technology diffusion, and economic growth
• AI and the labor market, including employment, wages, job search, task-level impacts, and skill acquisition

Applicants are not expected to have experience across all domains; the team is building complementary strengths across these areas.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute empirical research using large-scale observational or experimental data.
• Apply causal inference and/or structural modeling techniques to study AI-driven economic change.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate research questions into testable frameworks and applicable takeaways across policy, product, and the organization.
• Produce policy-relevant outputs, including academic papers, technical reports, and briefings.
• Contribute to the development of new measurement approaches for AI's economic impact.
• Use AI across responsibilities to scale research impact.

Requirements

• PhD in Economics or a related quantitative field.
• Three to five years of relevant work experience in industry or policy research.
• Strong background in econometrics and applied microeconomics.
• Demonstrated experience working with large or complex datasets.
• Demonstrated proficiency in SQL.
• Proficiency in statistical programming, such as Python or R.
• Research related to labor economics, industrial organization, macroeconomics, or technological change.
• Experience working with platform, labor market, or firm-level data.
• Familiarity with causal inference, machine learning methods, or structural modeling.

Benefits

• Equity, performance-related bonuses for eligible employees, and benefits in addition to base salary.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts.
• Pre-tax accounts for healthcare, dependent care, commuter expenses, parking, and transit.
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match.
• Paid parental, medical, and caregiver leave.
• Flexible paid time off for exempt employees and up to 15 paid days annually for non-exempt employees.
• Paid company holidays, office closures, and sick or safe time as required by applicable 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.

OpenAI is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Background checks are administered in accordance with applicable law.