Software Engineer, Compute - Storage

About the TeamThe Storage Infrastructure team builds and operates the storage foundation behind OpenAI’s most demanding workloads. We work directly with research to design storage systems for rapidly evolving experiments, while also powering production at scale. We own the platform end to end: backend systems, user-facing services and APIs, and the control planes that manage how data is placed, moved, and retained over time.Our stack spans cloud and in-house object stores across very different workload profiles, from GPU-attached systems to dedicated storage hardware. We also build the federation layer that unifies these backends behind a simple interface and routes each workload to the right storage solution.About the RoleYou will help build the storage platform that powers OpenAI’s research and production systems. This is a hands-on infrastructure role for engineers who want to work on deeply technical systems at scale and own them in production.You’ll work across object storage, cross-region data movement, lifecycle management, and the federation layer that provides a unified interface across multiple backends. Much of our stack runs on Kubernetes, and we primarily build services in Rust.In this role, you will:Build and operate storage services that underpin OpenAI’s research infrastructureDevelop object storage systems across cloud and in-house environmentsBuild systems for cross-region data movement, replication, and recoveryDesign lifecycle management capabilities that keep data durable, available, and cost-effectiveEvolve the federation layer that unifies multiple backend systems behind a simple interfaceImprove performance, reliability, and operational excellence across the platformCollaborate closely with researchers and infrastructure teams to support rapidly evolving workloadsYou might thrive in this role if you:Have experience building or operating distributed systems in productionHave worked on storage infrastructure, object stores, distributed filesystems, or other data-intensive backend systemsEnjoy owning infrastructure end to end, including debugging and long-term reliability improvementsWrite strong production code, ideally in Rust or another systems-oriented languageAre comfortable working with Kubernetes-based systemsHave experience with tools such as Terraform, Grafana, or similar infrastructure and observability toolingAbout OpenAIOpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We push the boundaries of the capabilities of AI systems and seek to safely deploy them to the world through our products. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core, and to achieve our mission, we must encompass and value the many different perspectives, voices, and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. For additional information, please see OpenAI’s Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement.Background checks for applicants will be administered in accordance with applicable law, and qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment consistent with those laws, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, for US-based candidates. For unincorporated Los Angeles County workers: we reasonably believe that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship with the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: protect computer hardware entrusted to you from theft, loss or damage; return all computer hardware in your possession (including the data contained therein) upon termination of employment or end of assignment; and maintain the confidentiality of proprietary, confidential, and non-public information. In addition, job duties require access to secure and protected information technology systems and related data security obligations.To notify OpenAI that you believe this job posting is non-compliant, please submit a report through this form. No response will be provided to inquiries unrelated to job posting compliance.We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made via this link.OpenAI Global Applicant Privacy PolicyAt OpenAI, we believe artificial intelligence has the potential to help people solve immense global challenges, and we want the upside of AI to be widely shared. Join us in shaping the future of technology.Compensation Range: $230K - $385KLocationSan Francisco; New York CityEmployment TypeFull timeLocation TypeHybridDepartmentScalingCompensation$230K – $385K • Offers EquityThe base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. If the role is non-exempt, overtime pay will be provided consistent with applicable laws. In addition to the salary range listed above, total compensation also includes generous equity, performance-related bonus(es) for eligible employees, and the following benefits.Medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family, with employer contributions to Health Savings AccountsPre-tax accounts for Health FSA, Dependent Care FSA, and commuter expenses (parking and transit)401(k) retirement plan with employer matchPaid 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 employees13+ paid company holidays, and multiple paid coordinated company office closures throughout the year for focus and recharge, plus paid sick or safe time (1 hour per 30 hours worked, or more, as required by applicable state or local law)Mental health and wellness supportEmployer-paid basic life and disability coverageAnnual learning and development stipend to fuel your professional growthDaily meals in our offices, and meal delivery credits as eligibleRelocation support for eligible employeesAdditional taxable fringe benefits, such as charitable donation matching and wellness stipends, may also be provided.More details about our benefits are available to candidates during the hiring process.This role is at-will and OpenAI reserves the right to modify base pay and other compensation components at any time based on individual performance, team or company results, or market conditions.