IT Software Architect, SaaS Enablement and Governance

Details

The SaaS and Software Governance team within Corporate IT helps OpenAI scale from startup-speed tooling to mature enterprise architecture. The team owns practical governance for software, SaaS, integrations, APIs, identity, data access, and agent-enabled workflows, with a mandate to improve security, reduce software sprawl, and help business teams move faster through better foundations.

This is a hands-on governance and enablement role that partners with business teams, IT Operations, Security, Procurement, Business Platforms, Applied teams, and Data Engineering. The role will shape software, SaaS, data integration, and agent-enabled architecture while improving security, compliance, data quality, and customer, partner, and employee experience.

Responsibilities

• Own the target architecture for enterprise software, SaaS, integrations, APIs, and agent-enabled business systems across Corporate IT.
• Drive deprecation and consolidation targets for enterprise software.
• Build lightweight governance patterns that guide teams before software and integration decisions become difficult to change.
• Create architecture standards for identity, access, data movement, API usage, administrative rights, auditability, observability, and vendor integration.
• Partner with Security on SSO, SCIM, MFA, privileged access, non-human identities, secrets, token storage, data residency, encryption, retention, and incident response readiness.
• Partner with Procurement and Finance to evaluate renewals, rationalization opportunities, enterprise agreements, and build-versus-buy decisions.
• Work with GTM, Finance, Legal, HR, Research, Product, and Operations teams to evaluate agentic business workflows and translate them into scalable enterprise system patterns.
• Review proposed SaaS and internally built tools for overlap, risk, integration quality, ownership, lifecycle, supportability, and long-term fit.
• Develop reusable architecture blueprints for intake, workflow, approvals, knowledge management, customer and partner 360, data integration, reporting, content management, learning, surveys, and collaboration.
• Help define where OpenAI-native GPT or agent-built solutions should replace or enable point SaaS tools.
• Create decision records and architecture artifacts for business leaders, engineers, security reviewers, and procurement partners.
• Improve software catalog maturity by connecting tool inventory, business ownership, system ownership, integration paths, data classification, access models, renewals, risk posture, and support models.

Core Architecture Domains

• SaaS governance and software catalog maturity
• Enterprise integration architecture, including APIs, event flows, middleware, and system-of-record boundaries
• Identity, access, and administrative model design across internal and external users
• Data architecture for SaaS, customer, supplier, employee, partner, product, consumption, and connected business models
• Agentic workflow architecture and GPT-built replacement patterns
• Vendor architecture reviews and enterprise agreement leverage across strategic platforms
• Security, compliance, ITGC, audit evidence, and operational readiness
• Support model design, ownership, SLAs, escalation paths, and lifecycle management

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in enterprise architecture, business systems architecture, IT architecture, SaaS governance, integration architecture, or a related technical leadership role.
• Strong understanding of SaaS operating models, software lifecycle management, software asset management, and vendor/platform governance.
• Experience designing integrations across systems, including large-scale SaaS platforms such as CRM, ERP, and marketplace platforms.
• Practical knowledge of identity and access patterns, including SSO, OIDC, SAML, SCIM, RBAC/ABAC, privileged administrative models, service accounts, OAuth applications, and token governance.
• Ability to evaluate software based on business value, architecture fit, security posture, data exposure, cost, supportability, user experience, and vendor strategy.
• Comfort operating in ambiguity, building structure where little exists, and influencing senior stakeholders without relying solely on formal authority.
• Ability to write clear architecture decision records, governance standards, system diagrams, business cases, and executive-ready recommendations.
• Strong partner orientation and the ability to help teams move faster while improving decision quality.
• Curiosity about AI-native enterprise architecture and how GPT, Codex, and agentic workflows can replace or enable traditional SaaS patterns.

Preferred Experience

• Scaling IT or business systems from startup-stage tooling into mature enterprise architecture.
• Software rationalization, SaaS enablement and deprecation, vendor consolidation, or enterprise license optimization.
• Architecting systems in a high-growth environment.
• Building governance for internally developed tools, low-code/no-code platforms, agents, or employee-built automation.
• Working closely with Security, GRC, Legal, Procurement, and Finance on cross-functional risk and control programs.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families, 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, medical leave, 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 may include charitable donation matching and wellness stipends.

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