Host Systems Software Engineer

Details

About the Team

OpenAI’s Hardware organization develops AI-native silicon and system-level solutions for the unique demands of advanced AI workloads. Building on efforts like Jalapeño, the team is developing future generations of AI-native silicon and tightly integrated systems to power the next generation of frontier models. By co-designing chips, systems, tools, and methodologies, the team helps deliver faster, more efficient, and production-ready hardware for OpenAI’s supercomputing platform.

About the Role

OpenAI is looking for an experienced systems software engineer to help define and build the host software stack for custom next-generation AI systems. The role involves performance-critical software close to the hardware, including Linux kernel drivers, high-throughput I/O paths, and system-scale networking and RDMA.

This role spans architecture, implementation, platform bring-up, debugging, and performance optimization. You will work across hardware and software boundaries to make new systems usable end to end, from low-level device interfaces through userspace tooling and production validation.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and debug host-side systems software for AI infrastructure, including Linux kernel drivers and supporting userspace components.
• Build and optimize software paths for high-throughput, low-latency communication, including RDMA and related networking functionality.
• Develop software around PCIe, DMA, NICs, accelerators, memory movement, and device interaction.
• Bring up new hardware platforms and diagnose complex issues across kernel, firmware, networking, and hardware boundaries.
• Build tooling for integration, testing, diagnostics, observability, qualification, and performance characterization.
• Collaborate with hardware, networking, and platform teams to define interfaces and integrate new capabilities.
• Work with external vendors where needed to integrate technologies and drive issues to resolution.
• Contribute across the systems software stack as the platform and team evolve.
• Help shape the technical direction and engineering practices for a growing systems software stack.

Requirements

• Experience building low-level or performance-critical systems software.
• Strong programming skills in C or C++, with proficiency using Python and Linux tooling for automation and debugging.
• Strong Linux systems fundamentals and the ability to debug across hardware and software boundaries.
• Hands-on experience in at least one relevant area, such as Linux kernel drivers, kernel networking, RDMA, PCIe, DMA, NIC software, accelerator software, or high-performance I/O.
• Experience owning complex software projects from design through implementation, bring-up, and validation.
• Ability to thrive in ambiguity, work across subsystem boundaries, and build systems from scratch.
• Strong cross-functional communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing Linux kernel drivers or other OS-level performance-critical components.
• Familiarity with RDMA or RoCE, ibverbs, kernel networking, or congestion-control concepts such as ECN and DCQCN.
• Experience with PCIe, DMA, peer-to-peer communication, SR-IOV, IOMMU, dma-buf, or related accelerator and I/O subsystems.
• Experience bringing up accelerators, NICs, SoCs, or custom hardware platforms.
• Experience profiling and optimizing high-throughput, low-latency systems.
• Familiarity with Rust or experience using Rust for systems programming.

Candidates may need to meet certain legal status requirements under U.S. export control laws and regulations.

About OpenAI

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. OpenAI is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic.

Background checks, reasonable accommodation processes, and applicant privacy practices apply in accordance with applicable laws and OpenAI policies.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families, with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts.
• Pre-tax accounts for health and dependent-care expenses and 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 applicable law.
• Mental health and wellness support.
• Employer-paid basic life and disability coverage.
• Annual learning and development stipend.
• Daily meals in offices and eligible meal delivery credits.
• Relocation support for eligible employees.
• Additional taxable fringe benefits, such as charitable donation matching and wellness stipends, may also be provided.

The compensation package includes base pay, equity, performance-related bonuses for eligible employees, and benefits. Base pay may vary based on market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.