Full-Stack Software Engineer, Frontier Exploration

Details

OpenAI Labs explores the edges of what’s possible with AI. The Labs team prototypes new ways for people to benefit from AI by turning research breakthroughs or overlooked ideas into interactive experiments and product directions. As a Full-Stack Software Engineer on Labs, you will create new ways for people to interact with AI, building rapid internal experiments and prototypes that may be handed off to product teams if they prove promising.

Responsibilities

• Explore emerging capabilities and collaborate with researchers to uncover surprising behaviors and push their limits through creative experimentation.
• Design and prototype new interfaces and interaction patterns that rethink how people experience AI, making powerful capabilities feel intuitive, delightful, and inspiring.
• Bring ideas to life quickly, turning concepts into working demos and evolving prototypes into robust, testable experiences ready for real-world feedback.
• Ship early, learn from real usage, and iterate fast — refining ideas based on how people actually use them.
• Hand off the most promising prototypes to product teams to scale before moving on to the next frontier.
• Work collaboratively with researchers and product teams in a research-to-product workflow.

Requirements

• Demonstrated experience building and shipping full-stack applications, from intuitive interfaces to reliable backend systems.
• Comfort with rapid prototyping and turning early concepts or researcher demos into working experiences.
• Strong product taste and intuition for what great interactions should feel like.
• Ability to operate in ambiguous, exploratory environments and iterate based on real user feedback.
• Interest in working at the intersection of research and product to explore novel AI-driven interactions.

Location & Work Model

• This role is based in San Francisco, CA.
• Hybrid work model: typically 3 days in the office per week.
• Relocation assistance is offered to new employees.

Benefits

• Base pay range listed for this role: $255,000 – $325,000 (listed as base pay range; total compensation also includes equity and may include performance-related bonuses).
• Offers equity and other components of total compensation.
• 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, paid medical and caregiver leave, and flexible PTO for exempt employees.
• 13+ paid company holidays and additional office closures.
• Mental health and wellness support; employer-paid basic life and disability coverage.
• Annual learning and development stipend; daily meals in offices and meal delivery credits as eligible.
• Relocation support for eligible employees and additional taxable fringe benefits (e.g., charitable donation matching, wellness stipends).

Company

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company focused on ensuring general-purpose AI benefits all of humanity. The company emphasizes safety, diverse perspectives, and equitable hiring practices. Background checks will be administered consistent with applicable law, and reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities are provided.