Software Engineer, Data Infrastructure - Research

Details

The Workload team designs and operates OpenAI's LLM training and inference infrastructure, providing scalable systems for researchers working across large GPU and accelerator fleets.

The role focuses on designing and implementing dataset infrastructure for OpenAI's next-generation training stack. This includes standardized dataset interfaces, scalable pipelines, performance testing, and collaboration with multimodal researchers and infrastructure teams.

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain standardized dataset APIs, including APIs for multimodal data that cannot fit in memory.
• Build proactive testing and scale-validation pipelines for dataset loading at GPU scale.
• Integrate datasets into training and inference pipelines to support smooth adoption and user experience.
• Document and maintain dataset interfaces so they are discoverable, consistent, and easy for other teams to adopt.
• Establish safeguards and validation systems to ensure datasets remain reproducible and unchanged after standardization.
• Debug and resolve performance bottlenecks in distributed dataset loading, including straggler systems that slow global training.
• Provide visualization and inspection tools to identify dataset errors, bugs, and bottlenecks.

Requirements

• Strong engineering fundamentals with experience in distributed systems, data pipelines, or infrastructure.
• Experience building APIs, modular code, and scalable abstractions.
• Understanding that abstractions serve users and that user experience is an important part of abstraction design.
• Comfort debugging bottlenecks across large fleets of machines.
• Interest in building reliable, scalable infrastructure and owning a foundational part of the machine learning stack.
• Collaborative and humble working style.

Bonus Qualifications

• Background knowledge in data mathematics, probability, or distributed data theory.
• Experience with GPU-scale distributed systems or dataset scaling for real-time data.

Benefits

• Base salary range of $250,000–$380,000 per year, plus equity.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and families, with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts.
• Pre-tax accounts for health, dependent care, 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 sick or safe time.
• 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 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 are administered in accordance with applicable law.