OpenAI

Engineering Manager, Identity Infrastructure

OpenAI1 months ago
Location

San Francisco

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 293,000 – 385,000

Level

Manager

Role

Engineering Manager

Posted

Jan 28, 2026

Full TimeManager

The role

Summary

OpenAI is seeking an Engineering Manager to lead their Identity Infrastructure team, building foundational identity services that provide secure, reliable access to AI systems at massive scale. This leadership role requires 10+ years of distributed systems experience and 3+ years managing high-performance engineering teams in fast-paced environments.

What you'll do

Team Leadership: Build, lead, and develop a high-performing engineering team, coaching and mentoring engineers and senior technical leads
Technical Strategy: Define and own the technical strategy, roadmap, and execution for OpenAI's core identity systems
Architecture Design: Guide the architecture of distributed systems operating at massive scale with high reliability, privacy, and performance requirements
Cross-functional Partnership: Partner closely with Product and Infrastructure teams to support new product needs and uphold high system standards
Operational Excellence: Ensure the team operates effectively, maintains strong engineering rigor, and consistently delivers against ambitious goals
Culture Development: Establish processes and culture that enable fast learning, high trust, and responsible innovation
Authentication Infrastructure: Lead the team responsible for authentication stack and token exchange infrastructure with high availability and security
Edge Validation: Own and improve request validation at the edge for logged-in users, delivering high reliability under high throughput
Data Access Systems: Oversee systems that enable secure access to user data, improving scalability and reliability for internal consumers

What we look for

Technical

Distributed Systems10+ years building, scaling, and operating distributed systems at large scale
Infrastructure ManagementExperience managing infrastructure teams with focus on operational excellence
Backend SystemsDeep experience building and operating high-scale backend systems with proven reliability improvements
Full Stack InfrastructureBroad infrastructure expertise from hardware and cluster management to services and storage layers
Security & PrivacyStrong understanding of security protocols, encryption, and privacy-preserving systems
Performance OptimizationTrack record of improving system latency, throughput, and resource efficiency

Education

Computer Science DegreeBachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience
Continued LearningCommitment to staying current with infrastructure technologies and management practices

Experience

Management Experience3+ years managing high-performance engineering teams in fast-paced, rapidly shifting environments
People LeadershipProven experience in hiring, coaching, and developing engineers while maintaining operational excellence
Technical LeadershipExperience setting technical direction and making architectural decisions for mission-critical systems
Startup EnvironmentExperience working in high-growth technology companies with rapidly evolving requirements

Skills

Required skills

Team Management3+ years managing engineering teams in fast-paced environments
Distributed Systems10+ years building and scaling distributed systems at large scale
People LeadershipStrong coaching and mentoring abilities for engineering talent development
Strategic ThinkingAbility to think holistically and make decisions grounded in user needs and sustainability
Infrastructure OperationsExperience with high-scale backend systems and operational excellence
CommunicationClear communication skills for cross-functional collaboration

Nice to have

Identity SystemsExperience with authentication, authorization, and identity infrastructure
Security ExpertiseKnowledge of security protocols, encryption, and privacy systems
Cloud PlatformsExperience with AWS, GCP, or Azure infrastructure
Container OrchestrationKubernetes and Docker experience for microservices architecture
Monitoring & ObservabilityExperience with Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog for system monitoring
AI/ML InfrastructureUnderstanding of infrastructure requirements for AI and ML workloads

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 293,000 – 385,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Equity Compensation

Significant equity package in one of the world's leading AI companies

Hybrid Work Model

3 days in office per week with flexible remote work options

Relocation Assistance

Comprehensive relocation package for new employees moving to San Francisco

Health Insurance

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

Professional Development

Learning and development opportunities in cutting-edge AI and infrastructure

Mission-Driven Work

Opportunity to shape the future of AI technology that benefits humanity

Innovative Environment

Work with world-class researchers and engineers on breakthrough AI systems

Equal Opportunity

Inclusive workplace committed to diversity and equal employment opportunity

Interview process

  1. 1
    Initial Screen — Phone or video call with recruiter to discuss background, interest, and role overview
  2. 2
    Hiring Manager Interview — Deep dive into management philosophy, technical background, and leadership approach with hiring manager
  3. 3
    Technical Systems Design — Architecture discussion focused on distributed systems, identity infrastructure, and scalability challenges
  4. 4
    Leadership & Behavioral — Panel interview assessing people management, coaching abilities, and cultural fit with team leads
  5. 5
    Cross-functional Partners — Interviews with Product and Security stakeholders to evaluate collaboration and strategic thinking
  6. 6
    Final Executive Interview — Discussion with senior leadership about vision, strategy, and long-term impact on OpenAI's infrastructure
  7. 7
    Reference Checks — Verification of management experience and leadership capabilities with previous colleagues
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OpenAI

OpenAI

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OpenAI is an American artificial intelligence research organization developing advanced AI models like GPT. Focused on ensuring AI benefits humanity, it creates tools for natural language processing and generative AI applications.

San Francisco, California, United StatesFounded 2015openai.com

Tech Stack

Languages
GoRustPythonTypeScript
Frameworks
gRPCREST APIsOAuth 2.0/OIDCJWT
Databases
PostgreSQLRedisCassandraDynamoDB
Tools
KubernetesDockerTerraformPrometheusGrafanaDatadog
Other
AWSLoad BalancersCDNHashiCorp VaultLDAP/Active DirectorySAML

Interview Guides

5 guides available for OpenAI

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