OpenAI

Forward Deployed Engineer - Stockholm

OpenAI1 months ago
Location

Stockholm, Sweden

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 160,000 – 220,000

Level

Senior

Role

Forward Deployed Engineer

Posted

Jun 18, 2026

Full TimeSenior

The role

Summary

Forward Deployed Engineer at OpenAI leads end-to-end deployments of frontier AI models with strategic customers in Stockholm, owning technical discovery through production rollout. This role bridges customer needs and product development, requiring 5+ years of full-stack engineering experience with demonstrated expertise in building production systems, customer-facing technical leadership, and LLM/generative model deployment. Success in this position demands strong decision-making under ambiguity, cross-functional collaboration with research and product teams, and the ability to translate field feedback into actionable insights that shape OpenAI's model and product roadmaps.

What you'll do

End-to-End Technical Delivery Leadership: Own complete technical delivery lifecycle across multiple concurrent deployments from initial prototype and discovery phases through stable production environments. Lead scoping and sequencing of work to remove blockers early, make deliberate trade-offs between scope, speed, and quality, and adjust plans dynamically to protect delivery timelines while maintaining code quality standards.
Full-Stack System Architecture and Development: Design and build full-stack systems that directly deliver customer value while generating insights for product refinement. Write and review production-grade code across both frontend and backend systems, contributing directly to codebases when technical clarity or progress depends on hands-on engineering work.
Customer Collaboration and Adoption Leadership: Embed closely with customer engineering and domain teams to understand their technical requirements, business objectives, and operational constraints. Guide adoption of deployed solutions, translate customer feedback into product understanding, and maintain clear communication channels that accelerate time-to-value and ensure customer success.
LLM Model Deployment and Evaluation: Lead deployment and integration of frontier large language models and generative AI systems into production environments. Understand model behavior, performance characteristics, and limitations as they affect real-world product experience. Conduct eval-driven feedback collection and communicate how model capabilities and edge cases should inform future development priorities.
Cross-Functional Knowledge Transfer: Codify working patterns, deployment strategies, and technical learnings into reusable tools, playbooks, and building blocks that scale organizational knowledge. Share field-gathered feedback with Research and Product teams about where models succeed, fail, and can improve, directly influencing OpenAI's product and model roadmaps.
Team Leadership and Execution Clarity: Keep teams moving efficiently through clear communication, decisive judgment, and reliable follow-through on commitments. Model calm and professional judgment when stakes are high and complexity is significant, helping teams navigate ambiguous technical and business situations while maintaining psychological safety and forward momentum.

What we look for

Technical

Production-Grade Full-Stack DevelopmentDemonstrated expertise writing and reviewing production-quality code across frontend and backend systems using Python, JavaScript, or equivalent modern programming languages and frameworks. Experience building scalable, maintainable systems that handle real-world complexity and scale challenges.
LLM and Generative AI SystemsHands-on experience building, deploying, or integrating systems powered by large language models or generative AI models. Deep understanding of how model behavior, latency, token costs, and model limitations directly impact product user experience and business outcomes.
Complex Systems Design and ArchitectureProven ability to scope, design, and deliver complex technical systems in fast-moving or ambiguous environments. Experience making architectural trade-offs, managing technical debt, and sequencing work to balance speed with long-term maintainability in high-uncertainty contexts.
Customer-Facing Technical DeliverySubstantial experience leading customer-facing technical projects, managing customer expectations, and delivering measurable business impact. Ability to translate customer requirements into technical specifications and serve as a trusted technical advisor to non-technical stakeholders.
API Integration and System IntegrationStrong capability in integrating external APIs, third-party services, and platform capabilities into cohesive customer solutions. Experience designing integration architectures that balance flexibility, performance, and operational maintainability.

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or Related FieldFormal education in computer science, software engineering, mathematics, physics, or related technical discipline. Equivalent professional experience demonstrating mastery of core computer science concepts may substitute for formal degree.

Experience

5+ Years Software Engineering or Technical DeploymentMinimum five years of professional software engineering experience with significant component focused on technical delivery, systems implementation, or customer-facing technical roles. Track record of successfully delivering multiple complex projects and growing technical impact over career progression.
Production System OwnershipDemonstrated experience owning end-to-end lifecycle of production systems, from initial concept and architecture through deployment, monitoring, and ongoing optimization. Comfort with operational responsibilities and production troubleshooting.
Ambiguous Problem-Solving Under PressureProven ability to simplify complexity, make sound decisions with incomplete information, and maintain composure and good judgment during high-stakes situations. Experience thriving in fast-moving environments where requirements evolve and trade-offs must be made rapidly.
Cross-Functional Technical LeadershipExperience collaborating effectively with product teams, research scientists, design teams, and business stakeholders. Ability to translate between technical and non-technical audiences, build consensus on technical direction, and represent engineering perspective in strategic discussions.

Skills

Required skills

PythonExpert-level proficiency in Python for backend system development, data processing, and API integration. Strong understanding of Python ecosystem including async programming, testing frameworks, and performance optimization.
JavaScript/TypeScriptProduction-level experience with JavaScript or TypeScript for frontend development and full-stack applications. Familiarity with modern JavaScript frameworks and browser APIs for building responsive user interfaces.
System Design and ArchitectureStrong capability to design scalable, maintainable system architectures. Experience with microservices, distributed systems patterns, API design, and making architectural trade-offs for production environments.
LLM and AI Model IntegrationHands-on experience integrating large language models and AI systems into production applications. Understanding of prompt engineering, model fine-tuning, token management, and evaluating model performance in real-world contexts.
REST APIs and Backend DevelopmentExpertise designing, building, and maintaining RESTful APIs and backend services. Experience with authentication, authorization, rate limiting, error handling, and operational concerns for production APIs.
Database Design and ManagementSolid understanding of both relational and NoSQL databases, including schema design, query optimization, indexing strategies, and data consistency models for production applications.
Technical Communication and Stakeholder ManagementExcellent ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences, write clear technical documentation, and present findings to executive stakeholders. Comfort leading technical discussions and building consensus on complex decisions.
Problem Decomposition and ScopingStrong skill in breaking down ambiguous, complex problems into manageable components, estimating effort, identifying dependencies, and communicating clear scopes. Ability to identify critical path items and sequence work for maximum impact.

Nice to have

Cloud Platform Experience (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure)Experience deploying and operating systems on major cloud platforms. Familiarity with containerization, orchestration, managed services, and cloud-native architecture patterns.
Machine Learning Operations and MLOpsExperience with ML model deployment pipelines, versioning, monitoring, and the operational aspects of running ML systems in production. Familiarity with tools and practices for model evaluation and iteration.
Customer Success and Professional ServicesBackground in customer engineering, solutions architecture, or professional services roles where you deeply understood customer pain points, managed customer relationships, and drove adoption of complex technical solutions.
React, Vue, or Modern Frontend FrameworksProficiency with modern frontend frameworks for building responsive, performant user interfaces. Experience with state management, component architecture, and frontend performance optimization.
Open Source ContributionActive contributions to open source projects demonstrating ability to write collaborative, well-tested code and work within community standards. Experience engaging with diverse technical audiences and accepting constructive feedback.
Security and Privacy in Production SystemsUnderstanding of security principles for production systems including authentication, data encryption, access control, and compliance requirements. Experience implementing security best practices in customer-facing systems.
Agile and Iterative Development PracticesFamiliarity with agile methodologies, sprint planning, continuous integration/continuous deployment pipelines, and iterative product development. Experience with version control systems and collaborative development workflows.

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 160,000 – 220,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Relocation Assistance

Comprehensive support for relocating to Stockholm, Sweden, including financial assistance and logistics support to facilitate your move from anywhere in the world

Hybrid Work Model

Flexible hybrid arrangement requiring presence in Stockholm office three days per week, providing balance between collaborative office environment and focused remote work

International Healthcare Coverage

Comprehensive health insurance coverage for international employees working in Stockholm, including medical, dental, and vision benefits

Professional Development and Training

Access to advanced technical training, conference attendance, and continuous learning resources to stay current with rapidly evolving AI and software engineering practices

Collaborative Cross-Functional Environment

Direct access to world-leading AI researchers, product teams, and strategic customers, providing unmatched opportunities for technical growth and industry impact

Equity Participation

Competitive equity packages allowing employees to participate in OpenAI's value creation and long-term success

Vacation and Work-Life Balance

Generous vacation policy aligned with Swedish employment standards, supporting sustainable work practices and personal well-being

Mission-Driven Impact

Opportunity to directly shape the future of AI technology and its positive impact on humanity by working with frontier models and strategic customers

Apply for this position

You'll be redirected to the company's application page

OpenAI

OpenAI

View all jobs

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
FastAPI or FlaskReact or Vue.jsNode.jsLangChain or LlamaIndex
Databases
PostgreSQLMongoDB or similar NoSQLRedis
Tools
Git and GitHubDockerCI/CD Pipelines (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Jenkins)AWS, Google Cloud Platform, or AzurePostman or similar API toolsMonitoring and Observability Tools
Other
OpenAI APIs (GPT-4, GPT-3.5, embeddings, etc.)Prompt EngineeringModel Evaluation and Testing FrameworksAgile and Scrum Practices

Interview Guides

5 guides available for OpenAI

Apply Now

On this page