Performance Modeling Engineer ~2

Details

OpenAI’s Hardware organization develops system and infrastructure solutions for advanced AI workloads. The team builds and applies performance modeling frameworks to understand system behavior, quantify tradeoffs, and support next-generation infrastructure design.

This role supports the development and application of modeling tools used to evaluate AI system performance and inform architectural decisions. The engineer will work with Senior Performance Modeling Engineers and the Performance Modeling Lead to analyze system behavior, run simulations and analytical models, and evaluate tradeoffs across compute, memory, networking, interconnect, and storage. The role is intended for early-career engineers with 1–2 years of experience in software engineering, systems analysis, or performance modeling.

The role is based in San Francisco, California, with a hybrid work model requiring three days in the office per week. Seattle is also listed as a secondary location. Relocation assistance is available for eligible employees.

Responsibilities

• Support the development and maintenance of performance modeling tools and frameworks.
• Assist in building models to evaluate system behavior across compute, memory, networking, and interconnect subsystems.
• Help analyze distributed system scaling behavior and identify performance bottlenecks.
• Run simulations and analytical models to support architecture and infrastructure decisions.
• Partner with senior engineers to evaluate design tradeoffs across hardware and system components.
• Interpret modeling outputs and help translate findings into clear recommendations.
• Validate models using benchmarking data and real system performance measurements.
• Improve modeling workflows, documentation, and usability for broader team adoption.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with hardware, infrastructure, and architecture teams.
• Build technical depth across AI infrastructure, system architecture, and performance analysis.

Requirements

• 1–2 years of experience in software engineering, systems modeling, performance analysis, or related technical work.
• Strong programming skills and experience building technical tools, scripts, or frameworks.
• Familiarity with system architecture fundamentals such as compute, memory, and networking.
• Ability to reason about system performance, bottlenecks, and scaling behavior.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with comfort working in quantitative environments.
• Ability to learn quickly and work effectively across technical teams.

Preferred Skills

• Exposure to AI/ML workloads, distributed systems, or large-scale infrastructure.
• Experience with simulation tools, benchmarking, profiling, or performance analysis.
• Familiarity with data center systems, server architecture, or hardware platforms.
• Interest in system architecture and hardware/software co-design.
• Internship or early professional experience in performance engineering, infrastructure, or systems design.

Benefits

• Base salary of $293,000–$385,000 per year.
• Equity, with performance-related bonuses for eligible employees.
• 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, medical, and caregiver leave.
• Paid time off, paid company holidays, office closures, and paid sick or safe time as required by 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.
• Additional taxable fringe benefits may include charitable donation matching and wellness stipends.