mid Software Engineer ic Hybrid · Posted Nov 19, 2025
$230,000 – $490,000
USD per year

About this role

OpenAI is hiring a mid-level Software Engineer based in San Francisco, CA (hybrid). The posting calls out experience with Kubernetes, Docker, Terraform, CI/CD. Compensation is listed at $230,000–$490,000 per year.

Role
Software Engineer
Function
software engineering
Level
mid
Track
Individual contributor
Employment
Full-time
Location
San Francisco, CA
Work mode
Hybrid
Department
Scaling
Posted
Nov 19, 2025
AI Summary
Design and build systems to manage cloud and bare-metal GPU fleets at scale, integrating hardware metrics with job scheduling and cluster management. Develop infrastructure automation tools, leverage LLMs for vendor coordination, and collaborate across teams. Requires strong software engineering skills, cluster-level systems knowledge (Kubernetes, Terraform), and deep server-level expertise (Linux, containerization, firmware).

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Job description

from OpenAI careers

The Fleet team at OpenAI supports the computing environment that powers our cutting-edge research and product development. We oversee large-scale systems that span data centers, GPUs, networking, and more, ensuring high availability, performance, and efficiency. Our work enables OpenAI’s models to operate seamlessly at scale, supporting both internal research and external products like ChatGPT. We prioritize safety, reliability, and responsible AI deployment over unchecked growth.

About the Role

The Software Engineer, Operating Systems & Orchestration will focus on building systems to manage hardware, configurations, vendors, and the people interacting with our infrastructure. You will design and develop solutions that integrate individual nodes and servers into unified clusters, directly contributing to advancing AI research by streamlining the overall research user experience. This role is based in San Francisco, CA. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees.

In this role, you will:

  • Design and build systems to manage both cloud and bare-metal fleets at scale.

  • Develop tools that integrate low-level hardware metrics with high-level job scheduling and cluster management algorithms.

  • Leverage LLMs to coordinate vendor operations and optimize infrastructure workflows.

  • Automate infrastructure processes, reducing repetitive toil and improving system reliability.

    This is an excerpt. Read the full job description on OpenAI careers →
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