Software Engineer - API Designer

Details

Our team brings OpenAI’s most capable technology to the world through our developer platform: the OpenAI API. As the leading AI development platform, our API is used by millions of developers and the majority of enterprises around the world, and powers the majority of AI applications that you may use on a daily basis. Most recently, the team has released gpt-5, gpt-realtime, Responses API, Agents SDK, and other products and features.

Responsibilities

• Design and build products that are launched in the API — extending existing endpoints, adding new endpoints, or rethinking the entire API suite.
• Own the design of API endpoints, field names, and enum values; treat the API as a product interface and iterate with care and intentionality.
• Play a major role in the API Review process — working with other teams to ensure APIs meet design standards.
• Collaborate closely with the API team, Developer Experience team, and GTM team to shape the product and roadmap.
• Ship API design and implementation that serve developers and enterprises at scale.

Requirements / You might thrive in this role if you:

• Appreciate taste in API design and believe there are well-designed APIs and poorly designed APIs.
• Can operate independently in a fast-paced environment with ambiguous requirements and goals.
• Love building for other developers and thrive on feedback from opinionated users.
• Are an engineer at heart but willing to lean into product decisions.
• Think of APIs as a composable product surface (the listing references the idea of "APIs as ladders").

About OpenAI

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. The company emphasizes safety, diverse perspectives, and inclusive hiring practices. Background checks will be administered in accordance with applicable law, and the company provides applicant accommodations.

Benefits

• Base pay range listed for this role; total compensation may include equity and performance-related bonuses.
• 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 and paid medical/caregiver leave.
• Flexible PTO for exempt employees and paid time off for non-exempt employees.
• 13+ paid company holidays and additional company office closures.
• 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.