Software Engineer, IP Infrastructure

Details

About the Team

The IP Infrastructure team builds and operates systems that enable OpenAI to share research and engineering technology securely and reliably with strategic partners. The work spans continuously running pipelines for model weights, configurations, code, and container images.

The team works closely with research, security, developer infrastructure, and partner engineering teams to turn complex requirements into dependable software. It is a small, collaborative team with direct ownership of systems supporting important partnerships.

About the Role

The role focuses on building and improving backend services behind these workflows, primarily using Python. The engineer will take projects from design through production and improve system reliability and operability as partner integrations evolve.

The work combines hands-on engineering with careful judgment, including translating requirements about what can be shared into clear, testable business logic, debugging problems across system boundaries, and collaborating with teams that build and use the underlying infrastructure.

This role is based in San Francisco, California, and follows a hybrid work model with three days per week in the office.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain automated pipelines that transfer model weights, configurations, code, and container images between OpenAI and partner environments.
• Implement validation and business logic determining how artifacts are prepared and shared.
• Improve production reliability through testing, monitoring, useful diagnostics, and robust failure handling.
• Integrate services with source control, object storage, and build and container tooling while working with owners of shared infrastructure.
• Partner with researchers, security teams, and external engineers to understand requirements and resolve integration problems.
• Improve existing workflows and use AI tools where they can make systems more effective.

Requirements

• Strong Python skills and experience building, testing, and debugging backend software.
• Experience taking a service, pipeline, or automation project from implementation into production and helping keep it reliable.
• Ability to investigate how systems fit together and trace problems across services and dependencies.
• Ability to turn ambiguous requirements into practical software while exercising sound judgment around sensitive information.
• Clear communication skills with technical and nontechnical collaborators and an interest in working with partner engineering teams.
• Ability to learn unfamiliar systems quickly and take responsibility for following problems through to resolution.
• Experience with cloud services, object storage, containers, or CI/CD is helpful.
• The work involves tools such as Docker, Bazel, and Buildkite, but prior expertise in every tool or a particular cloud provider is not required.

About OpenAI

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. OpenAI is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Background checks may be administered in accordance with applicable law.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts.
• Pre-tax accounts for health and dependent care expenses, as well as 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 meals in offices and meal delivery credits as eligible.
• Relocation support for eligible employees.
• Additional taxable fringe benefits may be provided, including charitable donation matching and wellness stipends.

Base pay may vary based on market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Total compensation also includes equity and performance-related bonuses for eligible employees.