Research Engineer, Human-Centered AI Careers at OpenAI - San Francisco, CA

Join OpenAI's mission to build safe, beneficial AGI as a Research Engineer in Human-Centered AI. This senior-level role in San Francisco offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of AI alignment and human-AI interaction. Apply now for groundbreaking work at the intersection of machine learning, cognitive science, and ethical AI development.

Role Overview

The Research Engineer, Human-Centered AI position at OpenAI represents a pivotal role in ensuring artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits humanity. Located in San Francisco, California, this role focuses on developing methods that keep AI systems aligned with human values as they scale in capability and complexity. You'll work on the forefront of AI safety research, leveraging high-quality human and synthetic data to train models that reliably follow human intent—even in adversarial or high-stakes environments.

OpenAI's approach emphasizes two key pillars: harnessing improved AI capabilities for better alignment and centering humans through intuitive interfaces and oversight mechanisms. As a Research Engineer, you'll bridge cutting-edge ML engineering with deep insights into human behavior, preferences, and interaction patterns. This isn't just engineering; it's about creating AI that truly understands and serves people.

Ideal candidates bring strong PyTorch expertise, research experience, and passion for human-computer interaction (HCI). Whether you're analyzing user feedback, designing scalable oversight, or prototyping novel evaluation frameworks, your work will directly impact OpenAI's charter to develop safe AGI. With the AI industry booming, this role positions you at the epicenter of innovation in San Francisco's tech hub.

Key Responsibilities

In this dynamic Research Engineer role, you'll tackle complex challenges in AI alignment and human-centered design. Key responsibilities include:

• Researching mechanisms to model human value creation, focusing on predicting preferences, behaviors, and satisfaction metrics.
• Designing advanced data labeling tasks to quantify nuanced human behaviors for AI training datasets.
• Analyzing patterns in user feedback to refine alignment techniques and improve model utility.
• Building robust evaluation frameworks to measure AI alignment in real-world, high-stakes scenarios.
• Iterating rapidly on training protocols to discover what drives effective human-AI feedback loops.
• Prototyping innovative Human-AI interaction paradigms that enable intuitive supervision of advanced models.
• Evaluating scalable oversight methods for humans to control highly capable AI systems.
• Developing capabilities to handle subjective, context-dependent alignment challenges.
• Collaborating with cross-domain experts to generate high-quality synthetic and human data.
• Experimenting with large-scale models using PyTorch to test alignment under capability scaling.
• Contributing to adversarial robustness research for safe AI deployment.
• Designing interfaces that empower humans to express intent clearly to AI systems.
• Publishing findings and iterating on methods to advance the field of human-centered AI.

These responsibilities demand a blend of research acumen, engineering prowess, and creative problem-solving in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

To excel as a Research Engineer, Human-Centered AI at OpenAI, you should possess:

• Advanced experience with ML frameworks like PyTorch and large-scale model training.
• Demonstrated research in AI alignment, HCI, cognitive science, or computational linguistics.
• Proven ability to navigate ambiguous problems from research ideation to implementation.
• Goal-oriented approach with tolerance for high-value tedious tasks like data annotation design.
• Strong alignment with OpenAI's mission for universally beneficial AGI.
• Experience in behavioral modeling, preference prediction, or user satisfaction metrics.
• Background in social sciences or related fields is highly valued.
• Thrives in collaborative, cutting-edge research settings.
• Excellent communication skills for cross-team collaboration.
• BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science, AI, or equivalent practical experience.

San Francisco-based candidates preferred, with relocation support available for exceptional talent.

Salary & Benefits

OpenAI offers competitive compensation for Research Engineer roles, estimated at $250,000 - $450,000 USD yearly base, plus equity, bonuses, and comprehensive benefits. Total compensation reflects seniority, experience, and impact.

Benefits package includes:

• Comprehensive health, dental, vision coverage for families.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Unlimited PTO and flexible work policies.
• Professional development budget.
• Onsite gym, catered meals, wellness programs.
• Generous parental leave (16+ weeks).
• Visa sponsorship and relocation assistance.

Why Join OpenAI?

OpenAI isn't just a company; it's the vanguard of AGI development. By joining as a Research Engineer in Human-Centered AI, you'll work alongside world-class researchers in San Francisco, directly influencing AI's trajectory toward safety and benefit for all humanity. Our charter commits to diverse perspectives, ensuring AI serves the full spectrum of human experience.

In this role, you'll balance breakthrough capabilities with robust alignment, pioneering methods that make superintelligent systems trustworthy. The fast-paced, collaborative environment fosters innovation, with resources to push boundaries. Contribute to products deployed worldwide while advancing fundamental research in scalable oversight and human-AI interfaces.

San Francisco's vibrant tech ecosystem amplifies your impact. With unlimited PTO, top-tier benefits, and mission-driven culture, OpenAI empowers you to do your best work. Shape a human-centered AI landscape—apply today.

How to Apply

Ready to advance safe AGI? Submit your resume, cover letter highlighting relevant experience in AI alignment or HCI, and links to publications/projects. OpenAI's hiring process includes technical interviews, research discussions, and team fit assessments. We prioritize mission alignment and potential impact.

Diversity drives innovation at OpenAI. We are an equal opportunity employer encouraging applications from underrepresented backgrounds. Join us in San Francisco to build the future of Human-Centered AI.