Researcher, Frontier Biological and Chemical Risks

Details

Preparedness is a critical Safety Research team focused on mitigating AI threats to global security that could scale to an extreme level of severity. The team works on measuring evolving frontier AI capabilities, maintaining misuse safeguards and alignment tools, and coordinating mitigation targets through OpenAI's preparedness framework.

The role involves pushing the boundaries of frontier models and developing an empirical understanding of AI safety concerns. You will own the scientific validity of frontier preparedness capability evaluations, design evaluations grounded in real threat models—including high-consequence CBRN, cyber, and other frontier-risk areas—and maintain existing evaluations to prevent staleness or silent regressions. You will define datasets, graders, rubrics, and threshold guidance, and produce auditable evaluation cards, capability reports, and system-card inputs for high-stakes launches.

Responsibilities

• Identify emerging AI safety risks and develop methodologies for exploring their impact.
• Build and continuously refine evaluations of frontier AI models to assess identified risks.
• Design and build scalable systems and processes that support AI safety evaluations.
• Contribute to risk management and best-practice guidelines for AI safety evaluations.
• Scope and deliver projects end-to-end in a dynamic, fast-paced research environment.

Requirements

• Passion for and knowledge of short-term and long-term AI safety risks.
• Ability to think outside the box and apply a robust red-teaming mindset.
• Experience in ML research engineering, ML observability and monitoring, creating large-language-model-enabled applications, or another technical domain applicable to AI risk.
• Experience operating effectively in a fast-paced research environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• First-hand experience red-teaming computer systems or other systems.
• Understanding of the societal aspects and nuances of AI deployment.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work cross-functionally.

Additional Information

This role may require access to technology or technical data controlled under U.S. Export Administration Regulations or International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Accordingly, the role is restricted to individuals meeting the applicable definition of a U.S. person.

OpenAI is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities.

Benefits

• Equity, performance-related bonuses for eligible employees, and a base salary of $295,000–$445,000 per year.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts.
• Pre-tax flexible spending and commuter accounts.
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match.
• Paid parental, medical, and caregiver leave.
• Paid time off, company holidays, and paid office closures.
• 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.