Security Researcher, Agentic AI Threats

Details

About the team

Preparedness is a critical Safety Research team at OpenAI focused on mitigating AI threats to global security that could scale to an extreme level of severity. The team’s work involves:

• Measurement: Monitoring and predicting the evolving capabilities of frontier AI systems.
• Mitigation: Keeping misuse safeguards, alignment tools, and security measures on track to address extreme threats that might arise in the future.
• Coordination: Setting mitigation targets by maintaining OpenAI’s preparedness framework and partnering with other staff to achieve these targets.

This is urgent, fast-paced work with far-reaching implications for the company and society.

About the role

As AI agents become more capable at software engineering and automate more internal work, they could become a dangerous cyber threat. People in this role will help OpenAI prepare for security threats from advanced AI agent insiders.

Responsibilities

• Identify paths by which capable future internal AI agents could compromise OpenAI.
• Design security controls, focusing on measures with long lead times that benefit from advanced preparation.
• Stress-test defenses with AI agent evaluations and penetration tests.
• Engage with stakeholders across the company to set and implement preparedness targets.

Requirements

• Deeply technical across security and modern infrastructure; comfortable digging into details of operating systems, cloud, containers, CI/CD, and distributed systems.
• Strong software engineering skills; enjoy building prototypes yourself.
• Ability to engage effectively with stakeholders.
• Bonus: experience securing cloud infrastructure and strong familiarity with core components of the AI stack.

Compensation

• Compensation Range: $293K - $405K USD
• Base salary range listed; role also offers equity and may include performance-related bonuses and other compensation components.

Benefits

• 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 (up to 24 weeks for birth parents and 20 weeks for non-birthing parents), plus paid medical and caregiver leave (up to 8 weeks).
• Paid time off: flexible PTO for exempt employees and up to 15 days annually for non-exempt employees.
• 13+ paid company holidays and multiple coordinated company office closures, plus 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 meals in offices and meal delivery credits as eligible.
• Relocation support for eligible employees.
• Additional taxable fringe benefits (charitable donation matching, wellness stipends, etc.).

Other notes

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