Software Engineer, Online Storage Careers at OpenAI - Seattle, Washington | Apply Now!
OpenAI
Software Engineer, Online Storage Careers at OpenAI - Seattle, Washington | Apply Now!
Job Description
Software Engineer, Online Storage at OpenAI - Seattle, WA
Role Overview
Join the elite Online Storage team at OpenAI, the pioneers behind ChatGPT, Sora, and the OpenAI APIs. We're expanding our Seattle, Washington team to own the databases and online-storage infrastructure powering all our groundbreaking products. As a Software Engineer, Online Storage, you'll tackle the most challenging problems in large-scale distributed systems, ensuring our AI innovations reach hundreds of millions of users worldwide with unmatched reliability, speed, and safety.
In this senior-level role, you'll design and build scalable database systems from the ground up, create intuitive APIs, and optimize for peak performance under extreme loads. OpenAI's fast-paced environment demands engineers who excel in ambiguity, collaborate seamlessly, and own outcomes end-to-end. If you've rebuilt production systems at scale, debugged complex distributed issues, and thrive on delivering user-impacting solutions, this is your chance to shape the infrastructure of the future of AI.
Seattle's tech ecosystem offers an ideal backdrop for this role, with proximity to top talent and a vibrant innovation scene. Whether you're local or relocating, OpenAI provides unparalleled opportunities to work on mission-critical systems that define the AI era.
Key Responsibilities
As a core member of the Online Storage team, your impact will be immediate and profound. Here's what you'll do daily:
- Architect and implement highly scalable, reliable databases that handle petabyte-scale data for AI models like ChatGPT and Sora.
- Engineer simple, intuitive APIs that abstract complex storage logic, enabling product teams to iterate rapidly.
- Profile and eliminate performance bottlenecks, boosting system efficiency by orders of magnitude.
- Lead root-cause analysis for production incidents, instrumenting systems for proactive monitoring and swift resolutions.
- Shape technical strategy, guiding infrastructure evolution to support exploding user growth and new product launches.
- Partner with cross-functional teams to translate product requirements into robust, scalable storage solutions.
- Develop internal tools that supercharge developer productivity, from automated deployment pipelines to observability dashboards.
- Champion operational excellence by defining SLAs, KPIs, and on-call processes that ensure 99.99% uptime.
- Scale systems horizontally to serve global traffic spikes without compromising latency or reliability.
- Collaborate on safety protocols to protect user data in high-stakes AI environments.
- Mentor junior engineers while owning critical path features end-to-end.
- Participate in on-call rotations to maintain system health during peak usage.
- Continuously innovate on storage primitives like caching layers and search indexes tailored for AI workloads.
These responsibilities position you at the heart of OpenAI's infrastructure, directly influencing product success and user experience.
Qualifications
To succeed, you'll bring proven expertise and a builder's mindset:
- 4+ years in software engineering, with 2+ years leading complex, large-scale projects.
- Deep expertise in distributed systems, including storage, caching, or search infrastructure.
- Systems programming proficiency in C++ and/or Python, with strong multi-threading and concurrency skills.
- Track record of scaling production systems to support massive user bases.
- Experience owning reliability through SLAs, on-call, and incident response.
- Excellent communicator who bridges engineering and product teams.
- Thrives in fast-paced, ambiguous settings with rapid iteration cycles.
- Builds tools that solve real workflow pain points beyond off-the-shelf options.
Domain knowledge in databases or large-scale data systems is a strong plus. OpenAI values humility, collaboration, and a relentless focus on user needs.
Salary & Benefits
OpenAI offers competitive compensation reflecting your seniority and impact. Total compensation for this senior Software Engineer role in Seattle typically ranges from $250,000 to $450,000 USD annually, including base salary, equity, and bonuses. Exact figures depend on experience.
Beyond pay, enjoy top-tier benefits:
- Comprehensive medical, dental, vision coverage.
- 401(k) with company match.
- Unlimited PTO and flexible remote options.
- Learning stipends for conferences and courses.
- Generous parental leave.
- Stock options in a unicorn AI leader.
- Wellness programs, gym reimbursements, and more.
Why Join OpenAI?
OpenAI isn't just a company; it's the vanguard of artificial general intelligence. Your work on the Online Storage team directly enables ChatGPT's conversational magic, Sora's video generation, and API scalability for developers worldwide. In Seattle, you'll join a collaborative hub amid tech giants, with access to cutting-edge hardware and talent.
Expect a culture of ownership, where engineers ship fast, learn constantly, and impact billions. With humble leaders, cross-team collaboration, and a mission to benefit humanity, OpenAI offers unparalleled growth. Build resilient systems that withstand global scale while pushing AI boundaries.
Seattle's lifestyle—outdoor adventures, craft brews, and tech vibrancy—complements high-impact work. Relocation support available.
How to Apply
Ready to power AI's future? Submit your resume, GitHub/portfolio, and a note on your favorite distributed systems project. Our process includes technical screens, system design interviews, and team chats. We're hiring now—apply today to join OpenAI's Seattle team!
Locations
- Seattle, Washington, United States
- San Francisco, California, United States
Salary
262,500 - 495,000 USD / yearly
Source: ai estimated
* This is an estimated range based on market data and may vary based on experience and qualifications.
Skills Required
- Distributed Systemsintermediate
- Database Designintermediate
- Scalable Architectureintermediate
- C++ Programmingintermediate
- Python Developmentintermediate
- Multi-threadingintermediate
- Concurrency Programmingintermediate
- Performance Optimizationintermediate
- Systems Programmingintermediate
- API Developmentintermediate
- Infrastructure Reliabilityintermediate
- On-call Rotationintermediate
- Root Cause Analysisintermediate
- SLA Definitionintermediate
- KPI Managementintermediate
- Caching Systemsintermediate
- Search Infrastructureintermediate
- Data Storageintermediate
- Backend Engineeringintermediate
- DevOps Toolsintermediate
Required Qualifications
- 4+ years of industry experience in software engineering (experience)
- 2+ years leading large-scale, complex projects or technical initiatives (experience)
- Strong passion for building distributed systems at scale (experience)
- Focus on reliability, scalability, security, and continuous improvement (experience)
- Expertise in systems programming with multi-threading and concurrency (experience)
- Proficiency in C++ and/or Python (experience)
- Hands-on experience with databases, large-scale data systems, or storage (experience)
- Experience in caching, search, or other distributed infrastructure components (experience)
- Excellent communication skills for collaborating with product teams (experience)
- Proven track record of owning systems end-to-end (experience)
- Ability to thrive in ambiguous, fast-paced environments (experience)
- Experience building internal tools to improve developer productivity (experience)
Responsibilities
- Design and build highly scalable, reliable, and performant databases
- Develop simple and intuitive APIs for underlying database systems
- Analyze and resolve performance and scalability bottlenecks
- Debug, instrument, and fix system issues from root cause to long-term solutions
- Define technical strategy for robust infrastructure supporting high-scale systems
- Collaborate with product teams to understand and meet requirements
- Boost engineering productivity through intuitive tools and systems
- Own system reliability including on-call rotation for critical incidents
- Scale databases to support products like ChatGPT, Sora, and OpenAI APIs
- Define SLAs and KPIs to satisfy stakeholder expectations
- Instrument systems for monitoring and observability
- Iterate rapidly on infrastructure to match evolving business needs
- Ensure safety, reliability, and performance for hundreds of millions of users
Benefits
- general: Comprehensive health insurance including medical, dental, and vision
- general: 401(k) retirement plan with generous company matching
- general: Unlimited PTO policy to promote work-life balance
- general: Remote-friendly work environment with flexible hours
- general: Annual learning and development stipend for professional growth
- general: Stock options in a high-growth AI company
- general: Generous parental leave policy for new parents
- general: Fully stocked kitchens with healthy snacks and meals
- general: Mental health support through partnered programs
- general: Gym membership reimbursements and wellness stipends
- general: Visa sponsorship for international talent
- general: Team offsites and social events to build camaraderie
- general: Cutting-edge technology stack and tools
- general: Impactful work on world-changing AI products
Tags & Categories
Answer 10 quick questions to check your fit for Software Engineer, Online Storage Careers at OpenAI - Seattle, Washington | Apply Now! @ OpenAI.
Related Books and Jobs
Software Engineer, Online Storage Careers at OpenAI - Seattle, Washington | Apply Now!
OpenAI
Software Engineer, Online Storage Careers at OpenAI - Seattle, Washington | Apply Now!
Job Description
Software Engineer, Online Storage at OpenAI - Seattle, WA
Role Overview
Join the elite Online Storage team at OpenAI, the pioneers behind ChatGPT, Sora, and the OpenAI APIs. We're expanding our Seattle, Washington team to own the databases and online-storage infrastructure powering all our groundbreaking products. As a Software Engineer, Online Storage, you'll tackle the most challenging problems in large-scale distributed systems, ensuring our AI innovations reach hundreds of millions of users worldwide with unmatched reliability, speed, and safety.
In this senior-level role, you'll design and build scalable database systems from the ground up, create intuitive APIs, and optimize for peak performance under extreme loads. OpenAI's fast-paced environment demands engineers who excel in ambiguity, collaborate seamlessly, and own outcomes end-to-end. If you've rebuilt production systems at scale, debugged complex distributed issues, and thrive on delivering user-impacting solutions, this is your chance to shape the infrastructure of the future of AI.
Seattle's tech ecosystem offers an ideal backdrop for this role, with proximity to top talent and a vibrant innovation scene. Whether you're local or relocating, OpenAI provides unparalleled opportunities to work on mission-critical systems that define the AI era.
Key Responsibilities
As a core member of the Online Storage team, your impact will be immediate and profound. Here's what you'll do daily:
- Architect and implement highly scalable, reliable databases that handle petabyte-scale data for AI models like ChatGPT and Sora.
- Engineer simple, intuitive APIs that abstract complex storage logic, enabling product teams to iterate rapidly.
- Profile and eliminate performance bottlenecks, boosting system efficiency by orders of magnitude.
- Lead root-cause analysis for production incidents, instrumenting systems for proactive monitoring and swift resolutions.
- Shape technical strategy, guiding infrastructure evolution to support exploding user growth and new product launches.
- Partner with cross-functional teams to translate product requirements into robust, scalable storage solutions.
- Develop internal tools that supercharge developer productivity, from automated deployment pipelines to observability dashboards.
- Champion operational excellence by defining SLAs, KPIs, and on-call processes that ensure 99.99% uptime.
- Scale systems horizontally to serve global traffic spikes without compromising latency or reliability.
- Collaborate on safety protocols to protect user data in high-stakes AI environments.
- Mentor junior engineers while owning critical path features end-to-end.
- Participate in on-call rotations to maintain system health during peak usage.
- Continuously innovate on storage primitives like caching layers and search indexes tailored for AI workloads.
These responsibilities position you at the heart of OpenAI's infrastructure, directly influencing product success and user experience.
Qualifications
To succeed, you'll bring proven expertise and a builder's mindset:
- 4+ years in software engineering, with 2+ years leading complex, large-scale projects.
- Deep expertise in distributed systems, including storage, caching, or search infrastructure.
- Systems programming proficiency in C++ and/or Python, with strong multi-threading and concurrency skills.
- Track record of scaling production systems to support massive user bases.
- Experience owning reliability through SLAs, on-call, and incident response.
- Excellent communicator who bridges engineering and product teams.
- Thrives in fast-paced, ambiguous settings with rapid iteration cycles.
- Builds tools that solve real workflow pain points beyond off-the-shelf options.
Domain knowledge in databases or large-scale data systems is a strong plus. OpenAI values humility, collaboration, and a relentless focus on user needs.
Salary & Benefits
OpenAI offers competitive compensation reflecting your seniority and impact. Total compensation for this senior Software Engineer role in Seattle typically ranges from $250,000 to $450,000 USD annually, including base salary, equity, and bonuses. Exact figures depend on experience.
Beyond pay, enjoy top-tier benefits:
- Comprehensive medical, dental, vision coverage.
- 401(k) with company match.
- Unlimited PTO and flexible remote options.
- Learning stipends for conferences and courses.
- Generous parental leave.
- Stock options in a unicorn AI leader.
- Wellness programs, gym reimbursements, and more.
Why Join OpenAI?
OpenAI isn't just a company; it's the vanguard of artificial general intelligence. Your work on the Online Storage team directly enables ChatGPT's conversational magic, Sora's video generation, and API scalability for developers worldwide. In Seattle, you'll join a collaborative hub amid tech giants, with access to cutting-edge hardware and talent.
Expect a culture of ownership, where engineers ship fast, learn constantly, and impact billions. With humble leaders, cross-team collaboration, and a mission to benefit humanity, OpenAI offers unparalleled growth. Build resilient systems that withstand global scale while pushing AI boundaries.
Seattle's lifestyle—outdoor adventures, craft brews, and tech vibrancy—complements high-impact work. Relocation support available.
How to Apply
Ready to power AI's future? Submit your resume, GitHub/portfolio, and a note on your favorite distributed systems project. Our process includes technical screens, system design interviews, and team chats. We're hiring now—apply today to join OpenAI's Seattle team!
Locations
- Seattle, Washington, United States
- San Francisco, California, United States
Salary
262,500 - 495,000 USD / yearly
Source: ai estimated
* This is an estimated range based on market data and may vary based on experience and qualifications.
Skills Required
- Distributed Systemsintermediate
- Database Designintermediate
- Scalable Architectureintermediate
- C++ Programmingintermediate
- Python Developmentintermediate
- Multi-threadingintermediate
- Concurrency Programmingintermediate
- Performance Optimizationintermediate
- Systems Programmingintermediate
- API Developmentintermediate
- Infrastructure Reliabilityintermediate
- On-call Rotationintermediate
- Root Cause Analysisintermediate
- SLA Definitionintermediate
- KPI Managementintermediate
- Caching Systemsintermediate
- Search Infrastructureintermediate
- Data Storageintermediate
- Backend Engineeringintermediate
- DevOps Toolsintermediate
Required Qualifications
- 4+ years of industry experience in software engineering (experience)
- 2+ years leading large-scale, complex projects or technical initiatives (experience)
- Strong passion for building distributed systems at scale (experience)
- Focus on reliability, scalability, security, and continuous improvement (experience)
- Expertise in systems programming with multi-threading and concurrency (experience)
- Proficiency in C++ and/or Python (experience)
- Hands-on experience with databases, large-scale data systems, or storage (experience)
- Experience in caching, search, or other distributed infrastructure components (experience)
- Excellent communication skills for collaborating with product teams (experience)
- Proven track record of owning systems end-to-end (experience)
- Ability to thrive in ambiguous, fast-paced environments (experience)
- Experience building internal tools to improve developer productivity (experience)
Responsibilities
- Design and build highly scalable, reliable, and performant databases
- Develop simple and intuitive APIs for underlying database systems
- Analyze and resolve performance and scalability bottlenecks
- Debug, instrument, and fix system issues from root cause to long-term solutions
- Define technical strategy for robust infrastructure supporting high-scale systems
- Collaborate with product teams to understand and meet requirements
- Boost engineering productivity through intuitive tools and systems
- Own system reliability including on-call rotation for critical incidents
- Scale databases to support products like ChatGPT, Sora, and OpenAI APIs
- Define SLAs and KPIs to satisfy stakeholder expectations
- Instrument systems for monitoring and observability
- Iterate rapidly on infrastructure to match evolving business needs
- Ensure safety, reliability, and performance for hundreds of millions of users
Benefits
- general: Comprehensive health insurance including medical, dental, and vision
- general: 401(k) retirement plan with generous company matching
- general: Unlimited PTO policy to promote work-life balance
- general: Remote-friendly work environment with flexible hours
- general: Annual learning and development stipend for professional growth
- general: Stock options in a high-growth AI company
- general: Generous parental leave policy for new parents
- general: Fully stocked kitchens with healthy snacks and meals
- general: Mental health support through partnered programs
- general: Gym membership reimbursements and wellness stipends
- general: Visa sponsorship for international talent
- general: Team offsites and social events to build camaraderie
- general: Cutting-edge technology stack and tools
- general: Impactful work on world-changing AI products
Tags & Categories
Answer 10 quick questions to check your fit for Software Engineer, Online Storage Careers at OpenAI - Seattle, Washington | Apply Now! @ OpenAI.
Related Books and Jobs