Forward Deployed Engineer - SF

6 Hours ago • 5 Years + • $180,000 PA - $280,000 PA
Software Development & Engineering

Job Description

OpenAI's Forward Deployed Engineering team transforms research into production systems by partnering with customers. This role involves embedding with users to solve high-leverage problems, moving quickly from prototype to deployment, and shaping the platform. Forward Deployed Engineers lead complex deployments of frontier models, mapping customer problems, structuring delivery, and building full-stack solutions that create measurable value. They also drive clarity across teams and influence the product roadmap with field insights.
Good To Have:
  • 5+ years of engineering or technical deployment experience that includes customer-facing work
  • Scoped and delivered complex systems in fast-moving or ambiguous environments
  • Write and review production-grade code across frontend and backend using Python, JavaScript, or comparable stacks
  • Built or deployed systems powered by LLMs or generative models and understand how model behaviour affects product experience
  • Simplify complexity and make fast, sound decisions under pressure
  • Communicate clearly with engineers, product teams, and customer stakeholders
  • Spot risks early and adjust without slowing down
  • Model calm and judgment when the stakes are high
Must Have:
  • Own technical delivery across multiple deployments from first prototype to stable production
  • Build full-stack systems that deliver customer value and sharpen how we learn
  • Embed closely with customer teams, understand their needs, and guide adoption of what you build
  • Scope work, sequence delivery, and remove blockers early
  • Make trade-offs between scope, speed, and quality; adjust plans to protect delivery
  • Contribute directly in the code when progress or clarity depends on it
  • Codify working patterns into tools, playbooks, or building blocks that others can use
  • Share field feedback that helps Research and Product understand where the models succeed and where they can improve
  • Keep teams moving through clarity and follow-through
Perks:
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family, with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts
  • Pre-tax accounts for Health FSA, Dependent Care FSA, and commuter expenses (parking and transit)
  • 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
  • Paid 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 employees
  • 13+ 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 support
  • Employer-paid basic life and disability coverage
  • Annual learning and development stipend to fuel your professional growth
  • Daily meals in our offices, and meal delivery credits as eligible
  • Relocation support for eligible employees
  • Additional taxable fringe benefits, such as charitable donation matching and wellness stipends, may also be provided.

Add these skills to join the top 1% applicants for this job

game-texts
model-deployment
asana
python
javascript

Employment Type

Full time

Location Type

Hybrid

Department

Model Deployment for Business

Compensation

  • Zone A$180K – $280K • Offers Equity

The 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 Accounts
  • Pre-tax accounts for Health FSA, Dependent Care FSA, and commuter expenses (parking and transit)
  • 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
  • Paid 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 employees
  • 13+ 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 support
  • Employer-paid basic life and disability coverage
  • Annual learning and development stipend to fuel your professional growth
  • Daily meals in our offices, and meal delivery credits as eligible
  • Relocation support for eligible employees
  • Additional 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 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.

About the team

Forward Deployed Engineering team partners with customers to turn research breakthroughs into production systems. We embed deeply with users to solve high-leverage problems. We move quickly from prototype to deployment and surface patterns that shape the platform. We operate at the intersection of customer delivery and core development. We work closely with Product, Research, and Go-To-Market (GTM).

About the role

Forward Deployed Engineers lead complex deployments of frontier models in production. You will embed with customers where model performance matters, delivery is urgent, and ambiguity is the default. You will use this to map their problems, structure delivery, and ship fast. You will scope, sequence, and build full-stack solutions that create measurable value. You will also drive clarity across internal and external teams. You will identify reusable patterns and share field signal that influences the roadmap.

Success in this role means owning the delivery state across workstreams. You will hold the bar on quality and pace and help learn through execution.

This role is based in San Francisco. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week. We offer relocation assistance. Travel up to 50% is required.

In this role you will

  • Own technical delivery across multiple deployments from first prototype to stable production
  • Build full-stack systems that deliver customer value and sharpen how we learn
  • Embed closely with customer teams, understand their needs, and guide adoption of what you build
  • Scope work, sequence delivery, and remove blockers early
  • Make trade-offs between scope, speed, and quality; adjust plans to protect delivery
  • Contribute directly in the code when progress or clarity depends on it
  • Codify working patterns into tools, playbooks, or building blocks that others can use
  • Share field feedback that helps Research and Product understand where the models succeed and where they can improve
  • Keep teams moving through clarity and follow-through

You might thrive in this role if you

  • Bring 5+ years of engineering or technical deployment experience that includes customer-facing work
  • Have scoped and delivered complex systems in fast-moving or ambiguous environments
  • Write and review production-grade code across frontend and backend using Python, JavaScript, or comparable stacks
  • Have built or deployed systems powered by LLMs or generative models and understand how model behaviour affects product experience
  • Simplify complexity and make fast, sound decisions under pressure
  • Communicate clearly with engineers, product teams, and customer stakeholders
  • Spot risks early and adjust without slowing down
  • Model calm and judgment when the stakes are high

About

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 Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable law, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act. 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 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.

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At, 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: $180K - $280K

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