Role Overview

OpenAI is at the forefront of artificial general intelligence (AGI) development, uniting the world's top scientists, engineers, and professionals in one lab. Our Recruiting team pioneers innovative talent strategies to build high-impact, mission-aligned teams.

In this senior leadership role based in San Francisco, you'll manage a team of elite recruiters sourcing exceptional AI engineers, machine learning experts, and technical innovators. Reporting to the Head of Recruiting for Engineering, Product, Design, and Data Science, you'll shape OpenAI's technical talent pipeline during our most critical growth phase.

This position demands strategic vision, technical recruiting mastery, and inspirational leadership. You'll partner with engineering VPs to hire the architects of our most advanced AI systems while championing diversity and exceptional candidate experiences.

Key Responsibilities

Your leadership will directly impact OpenAI's ability to attract top global AI talent:

• Lead and mentor a high-performing team of technical recruiters and sourcers specializing in Applied AI Engineering
• Develop comprehensive hiring strategies aligned with OpenAI's aggressive technical roadmap and AGI mission
• Build strategic relationships with engineering leaders, CTOs, and external AI research communities
• Optimize end-to-end recruiting operations using advanced analytics and process improvements
• Design candidate journeys that reflect OpenAI's values of excellence, integrity, and innovation
• Leverage market intelligence and data metrics to predict talent needs and adjust strategies proactively
• Champion DEI initiatives to build the most diverse AI engineering team in the industry
• Manage full-cycle recruiting for senior individual contributors through principal engineers
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Research, and Design recruiting leads
• Represent OpenAI at top AI conferences and university recruiting events
• Drive employer branding initiatives targeting elite technical talent pools
• Implement scalable sourcing strategies for specialized roles in reinforcement learning, multimodal AI, and safety research
• Provide executive-level reporting on recruiting KPIs to organizational leadership

Qualifications

We're seeking proven technical recruiting leaders with deep AI/ML domain expertise:

• 15+ years recruiting experience, including 7+ years managing technical recruiting teams
• Demonstrated success hiring for AI engineering, machine learning, and research scientist roles
• Track record leading recruiters through hyper-growth phases at top tech companies
• Strong technical fluency to partner credibly with principal engineers and AI researchers
• Expertise in data-driven recruiting with mastery of ATS systems and analytics platforms
• Proven DEI advocate with strategies that successfully increased technical diversity
• Exceptional stakeholder management across executive and engineering leadership
• Experience with high-stakes, low-volume hiring for specialized technical talent

Salary & Benefits

Competitive Compensation: Total compensation range of $250,000 - $400,000+ USD annually, including base salary, significant equity, and performance bonuses. Exact compensation determined by experience and qualifications.

Comprehensive Benefits Package:

• Premium medical, dental, vision coverage with low employee premiums
• 401(k) with 4%+ employer match
• Unlimited vacation with cultural encouragement to disconnect
• 16+ weeks paid parental leave
• Professional growth stipend ($10,000+/year)
• Relocation package for San Francisco move
• Daily catered meals and fully stocked micro-kitchens
• Wellness programs including mental health support

OpenAI offers equity that could be life-changing given our trajectory toward AGI commercialization.

Why Join OpenAI?

Mission Impact: Work on humanity's most important technical challenge - safe AGI development. Your recruiting leadership directly enables breakthroughs that benefit all 8 billion humans.

Elite Environment: Collaborate with Turing Award winners, ex-Google DeepMind leads, and Stanford AI professors daily. Access unparalleled compute resources and research publications.

Career Acceleration: Lead recruiting for the most desirable technical roles globally. Build expertise at the intersection of AI + talent acquisition that transfers anywhere.

Cultural Excellence: High agency, intellectual rigor, and genuine care for mission success. No politics, maximum impact.

San Francisco HQ: Vibrant tech ecosystem with direct access to Berkeley/Stanford talent pipelines and AI research hubs.

How to Apply

Ready to shape the future of AI talent at OpenAI?

1. Submit your resume and tailored cover letter explaining your technical recruiting leadership philosophy
2. Include 2-3 examples of hiring strategies that drove business impact at previous companies
3. Highlight your most challenging AI/ML technical search and how you succeeded
4. Applications reviewed on rolling basis - top candidates interviewed within 1 week

Interview Process (4-5 stages):

1. Recruiter screen (30 min)
2. Hiring Manager deep-dive (60 min)
3. Team panel with your direct reports
4. Executive presentation on OpenAI recruiting strategy
5. Final references and offer

Join the talent mission. Apply now to build OpenAI's Applied AI Engineering dynasty.