Enterprise Security Lead

Details

About the Team

OpenAI’s Security organization supports the mission of deploying AGI for the benefit of all by ensuring the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of OpenAI’s technology, people, and products. Within the Security organization, the IT team ensures our diverse team of researchers, engineers, and staff have the tools they need to work comfortably, securely, and with minimal interruptions.

The Enterprise Security team is responsible for securing OpenAI’s a multitude of environments, including endpoint fleets, corporate systems, lab and test environments, on-premises hardware, identity and access management systems, SaaS applications, and user-facing infrastructure. The team designs, implements, and enforces modern security controls that protect sensitive data and ensure operational resilience against dedicated adversaries, and partners across the company to build secure defaults and scale security capabilities.

About the Role

As the Enterprise Security Engineering Lead, you will lead the team responsible for securing OpenAI’s internal enterprise environments. You will define and execute a security strategy that balances protection, user experience, and operational scalability. Responsibilities include hardening endpoints and SaaS infrastructure, building identity and access capabilities, implementing zero trust principles, and applying AI and automation to innovate new security controls. This is a hands-on leadership role: while the primary responsibility is setting direction and managing execution, a strong technical foundation and the ability to engage deeply on complex security challenges is required.

This role is based in San Francisco, CA. The team uses a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week and offers relocation assistance to new employees.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow a top-tier team of security engineers; set strategy, cultivate operational excellence, and coach with high empathy and high standards.
• Own enterprise defense end-to-end across macOS, Windows, Linux, labs, novel devices, servers, networks, SaaS, and bespoke infrastructure.
• Build secure, reliable, novel, and scalable internal security capabilities to advance the art of defense.
• Spearhead design and implementation of defense in depth, assume-breach, and zero trust principles across the enterprise environment.
• Partner with other security teams to prevent, detect, and respond to sophisticated adversaries targeting information systems.
• Foster cross-functional partnerships to enable productive, high-velocity, secure operations.
• Stay ahead of emerging threats and trends to keep the enterprise environment secure and resilient.
• Champion the use of AI and automation to improve security posture and response time.

Requirements

• At least 6+ years managing high-agency security teams in high-growth, cloud-first environments.
• Hands-on experience fighting real adversaries and translating lessons into architecture and controls.
• Deep experience with at least one major OS platform (Windows, macOS, or Linux), plus fleet management and SaaS application hardening.
• Expertise in common security controls and tooling including endpoint detection and response (EDR), MDM frameworks, network security, and zero trust architectures.
• Deep understanding of identity protocols (SAML, OAUTH, SCIM) and e-mail security controls (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
• Deep experience with at least one major hyperscaler cloud platform (Azure, AWS, GCP).
• Ability to collaborate across diverse teams and balance strategic thinking with hands-on engagement.

Nice to have

• U.S. security clearance or eligibility/willingness to obtain one.
• Familiarity with regulatory frameworks and compliance requirements.
• Proficiency with Python, Bash, or similar scripting languages for automation.
• Experience in offensive security, penetration testing, or offensive network operations.
• Background in security incident response, threat modeling, or security architecture.

Benefits and Additional Information

• Compensation range: $325,000 – $490,000 base (offers equity and additional compensation components). Base pay may vary by location, experience, and other individualized factors. Total compensation includes equity and, for eligible employees, performance-related bonuses.
• Comprehensive benefits including medical/dental/vision, health savings and FSA options, 401(k) with employer match, parental and medical leave, flexible PTO, paid holidays, mental health and wellness support, employer-paid basic life and disability coverage, learning & development stipend, daily meals and meal credits, relocation support for eligible employees, and other fringe benefits.
• Background checks administered in accordance with applicable law. OpenAI is an equal opportunity employer and committed to reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities.