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Head of Systems Operations

OpenAI San Francisco FullTime IT Posted 3w+ ago
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What it’s like to work at OpenAI

Frontier AI Research · San Francisco

4.5
Employee Rating
3.6
Work-Life Balance
659
Open Roles
eng-drivenship-fastlearningproduct-impactequity

What employees love

  • Cutting-edge frontier AI research with world-class colleagues
  • Elite compensation — top-tier TC and equity packages

What could be better

  • High-intensity environment — long hours and intense pace are the norm
  • Internal politics and rapid org changes as the company scales
View full OpenAI culture profile →

About the Role

About the Team

The Employee Technology Experience (ETX) team is responsible for delivering a world-class internal technology experience that enables employees to do their best work. We support and operate the employee-facing systems that keep the company moving quickly and efficiently.

Within ETX, the SysOps team sits at the center of critical internal platforms and operational workflows. The team owns a broad portfolio spanning identity systems, endpoint management, SaaS administration, infrastructure automation, enterprise tooling, and internal technical operations. We partner closely with Security, Engineering, Workplace, Finance, People and other cross-functional teams to ensure internal technology is fast, reliable, and scalable.

We are focused on building modern internal operations through automation, self-service, and AI-enabled workflows that reduce friction and create leverage across the company.

About the Role

We are hiring a Head of System Operations to lead a high-impact technical operations organization. This leader will be responsible for running the SysOps team, creating clarity across a broad remit, improving operational performance, architecture and building the future of how internal systems are delivered in the age of AI.

This role requires a strong operator who can organize complex work, set priorities, drive accountability, and continuously improve how the team functions. You will serve as the connective tissue across multiple technology domains while ensuring the team is focused on the highest-impact work.

You should be equally comfortable leading people, improving operational processes, and engaging deeply with technical systems. The role is ideal for someone who combines technical breadth with strong execution and a builder mindset.

You’ll be responsible for:

We’re looking for someone with:

About OpenAI

OpenAI 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 Policy

At 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the work-life balance like at OpenAI?
OpenAI has a work-life balance score of 3.6/5 based on employee reviews. This is about average for the AI/tech industry.
What is OpenAI’s culture like?
OpenAI is characterized by these culture values: eng-driven, ship-fast, learning, product-impact, equity. Based on employee reviews, the company has an overall rating of 4.5/5. Cutting-edge frontier AI research with world-class colleagues
How many open roles does OpenAI have?
OpenAI currently has 659 open roles across departments including engineering, product, sales, and more. Roles are refreshed daily from their careers page.
Is this role remote-friendly?
This role is located in San Francisco. Check the job description above for specific location and remote work details.
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