OpenAI

Forward Deployed Engineer - Madrid

OpenAI1 months ago
Location

Madrid, Spain

Type

Full Time

Salary

EUR 120,000 – 180,000

Level

Senior

Role

Forward Deployed Engineer

Posted

Jun 18, 2026

Full TimeSenior

The role

Summary

Join OpenAI's Forward Deployed Engineering team in Madrid to lead complex end-to-end deployments of frontier AI models in production with strategic customers. You'll own discovery, technical scoping, system design, and production rollout while partnering directly with customer engineering teams and OpenAI's core platform development groups. This role requires 5+ years of full-stack engineering experience with LLM systems, customer-facing technical delivery expertise, and the ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, fast-moving environments where production adoption and measurable business impact drive success.

What you'll do

Lead End-to-End Technical Delivery: Own complete deployment lifecycle from initial prototype development through stable production rollout across multiple customer projects. Establish success metrics, manage project timelines, and ensure seamless transitions from development to production environments serving strategic customers.
Design and Build Full-Stack Systems: Architect and develop full-stack systems that integrate frontier AI models into customer workflows, spanning frontend interfaces, backend APIs, data pipelines, and model serving infrastructure. Balance technical excellence with pragmatic trade-offs to maximize customer value delivery.
Embed with Customer Teams: Work closely alongside customer engineering, product, and domain experts to deeply understand business requirements, validate technical approaches, and guide adoption strategies. Serve as the primary technical liaison ensuring customer success and extracting valuable feedback for product improvements.
Scope and Sequence Delivery Work: Define technical scope for complex deployments, create realistic delivery sequencing, identify dependencies early, and remove blockers proactively. Make informed trade-offs between scope, speed, and quality while maintaining project momentum and stakeholder confidence.
Contribute Production Code: Write production-grade code across frontend and backend systems using Python, JavaScript, or comparable technology stacks. Take direct technical ownership when progress clarity depends on hands-on coding, establishing high quality standards for the team.
Create Reusable Patterns and Tools: Codify successful deployment patterns, technical playbooks, and reusable building blocks from field experience. Document working solutions that accelerate future deployments and enable team scaling without sacrificing quality or customer outcomes.
Drive Feedback Loop with Research and Product: Translate field observations and customer deployment challenges into actionable insights for OpenAI's research and product teams. Identify model behavior gaps, capability limitations, and integration patterns that influence model and product roadmap priorities.
Maintain Team Velocity and Clarity: Provide clear communication, decisive follow-through, and calm judgment when handling ambiguous situations or high-stakes deployment challenges. Keep cross-functional teams aligned and moving forward through complex integration work with minimal friction.

What we look for

Technical

Production-Grade Full-Stack DevelopmentProficiency writing and reviewing production code across frontend and backend systems. Strong experience with Python or JavaScript, API design, database architecture, and deployment infrastructure. Track record of shipping systems serving customers at scale.
LLM and Generative AI SystemsDemonstrated experience building or deploying systems powered by large language models or generative AI. Deep understanding of how model behavior, capabilities, and limitations affect production system performance and user experience. Experience with prompt engineering, fine-tuning, or model integration patterns.
System Design and ArchitectureAbility to design complex, distributed systems spanning model serving, API gateways, data pipelines, and customer-facing interfaces. Experience with scalability, reliability, and performance optimization. Proficiency evaluating architectural trade-offs under ambiguous requirements.
Deployment and Production OperationsExperience deploying systems to production, managing releases, monitoring system health, and responding to incidents. Knowledge of deployment strategies, infrastructure management, observability, and operational best practices for customer-facing systems.

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or Related FieldFormal education in computer science, software engineering, mathematics, physics, or equivalent technical discipline. Strong foundation in algorithms, systems design, and software engineering principles. Equivalent practical experience may substitute for formal degree in evaluation.

Experience

5+ Years Full-Stack EngineeringMinimum five years of hands-on software engineering experience across the full stack, including customer-facing product work. Track record of owning complex technical projects from design through production deployment and ongoing maintenance.
Complex System Delivery in Ambiguous EnvironmentsProven ability to scope, design, and deliver sophisticated systems in fast-moving contexts with evolving requirements. Experience navigating technical uncertainty, making sound decisions with incomplete information, and adapting plans when circumstances change.
Customer-Facing Technical WorkSignificant experience working directly with customers on technical projects, understanding their business constraints, and translating requirements into technical solutions. Demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and manage expectations.
Cross-Functional Collaboration at ScaleExperience collaborating effectively with product teams, research scientists, architects, and customer stakeholders in complex organizations. Proven ability to influence without direct authority and maintain alignment across competing priorities.

Skills

Required skills

PythonProduction-level proficiency for backend systems, data processing, and model integration. Experience with modern Python frameworks, testing, and deployment patterns.
JavaScript/TypeScriptStrong capability building frontend and backend systems. Experience with modern frameworks like React, Node.js, or comparable stacks for full-stack development.
System DesignAbility to architect scalable, reliable systems with proper separation of concerns, error handling, and operational considerations. Experience designing for performance, reliability, and maintainability.
API Design and IntegrationExpertise designing and consuming RESTful or GraphQL APIs. Experience integrating third-party services, building API gateways, and managing API versioning and backwards compatibility.
LLM Integration and Prompt EngineeringHands-on experience integrating large language models into applications. Knowledge of prompt design patterns, context management, and model selection for specific use cases.
Technical CommunicationExceptional ability to explain complex technical concepts to diverse audiences including non-technical stakeholders, customers, and cross-functional teams. Clear writing and presentation skills.
Project Scoping and PlanningDemonstrated skill breaking down complex projects into manageable components, estimating effort, identifying risks, and creating realistic delivery plans. Experience adjusting plans when constraints or requirements change.
Production Operations and DebuggingExperience deploying systems to production, monitoring performance, diagnosing issues, and rolling out updates. Familiarity with debugging tools, logging, metrics, and incident response.

Nice to have

Docker and KubernetesExperience containerizing applications and orchestrating deployments. Knowledge of modern deployment infrastructure and operational patterns.
Cloud Platform ServicesHands-on experience with AWS, GCP, or Azure. Familiarity with managed services for compute, storage, databases, and ML model hosting.
Database Design and OptimizationExperience designing and optimizing databases for performance and scalability. Familiarity with both SQL and NoSQL approaches and when each applies.
ML Ops and Model ServingBackground in machine learning operations, model deployment, monitoring, and version control. Experience with frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, or model serving platforms.
Frontend Framework ExpertiseAdvanced proficiency with modern frontend frameworks like React, Vue, or Angular. Experience building complex user interfaces with attention to performance and user experience.
Consulting or Professional Services ExperienceBackground working with diverse customers on technical solutions. Experience understanding customer business models and translating between business requirements and technical implementation.
Strategic Account ManagementExperience managing relationships with key customer accounts, understanding enterprise requirements, and coordinating cross-functional resources to ensure customer success.

Compensation & benefits

Salary

EUR 120,000 – 180,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Equity Compensation

Stock options as part of competitive total compensation package, aligning your interests with company success and long-term value creation.

Hybrid Work Model

Three days per week in the Madrid office with flexibility for remote work, enabling work-life balance while maintaining strong team collaboration.

Relocation Assistance

Comprehensive support for relocating to Madrid, including logistical assistance and resources to help you settle into the city.

Health and Wellness Benefits

Competitive health insurance coverage, mental wellness support, and fitness or wellness programs to support your overall well-being.

Professional Development

Learning budgets, access to technical training, conference attendance opportunities, and mentorship programs to support career growth.

Flexible Time Off

Generous paid time off and flexible vacation policies enabling proper rest, recovery, and time with family.

Company Equipment and Infrastructure

Top-of-the-line computing equipment, development tools, and infrastructure access to support your engineering productivity and success.

Interview process

  1. 1
    Initial Screening and Technical Assessment — Conversation with recruiting coordinator to assess background, experience with LLM systems, and customer-facing technical delivery work. May include take-home technical assessment focused on system design and full-stack capabilities.
  2. 2
    Technical Interview — Deep dive with senior engineers covering system design, architectural decisions, code quality standards, and approach to debugging complex production issues. Expect discussion of specific projects and technical trade-offs you've navigated.
  3. 3
    Customer Impact and Project Management Interview — Conversation focused on customer delivery experience, project scoping, handling ambiguous requirements, and translating customer needs into technical solutions. Discussion of how you've managed competing priorities and maintained momentum through complex deployments.
  4. 4
    Cross-Functional Collaboration Interview — Discussion with product, research, or partnerships team members about your ability to work effectively across functions, communicate technical concepts to non-engineers, and influence without direct authority.
  5. 5
    Leadership and Culture Fit Interview — Conversation with hiring manager or senior leader about decision-making under uncertainty, handling high-stakes situations with calm judgment, and values alignment with OpenAI's mission and culture.
  6. 6
    Final Round with Leadership — Meeting with senior leadership to discuss your vision for the role, OpenAI's product roadmap, and how your experience aligns with the company's goals around deploying frontier AI safely and effectively.
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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
PythonJavaScript/TypeScriptSQL
Frameworks
FastAPIReactNode.jsFlask or Django
Databases
PostgreSQLMongoDBRedis
Tools
DockerKubernetesGitCI/CD PipelinesTerraform or Infrastructure as CodeMonitoring and Observability Tools
Other
OpenAI APILLM FrameworksVector DatabasesModel Evaluation Frameworks

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5 guides available for OpenAI

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