OpenAI

Forward Deployed Software Engineer - Seattle

OpenAI4 months ago
Location

Seattle

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 153,000 – 325,000

Level

Senior

Role

Full Stack Engineer

Posted

Mar 4, 2026

Full TimeSenior

The role

Summary

OpenAI's Forward Deployed Software Engineers partner with strategic enterprise customers to design, architect, and implement full-stack AI-powered solutions that solve complex business challenges using OpenAI's APIs and platform capabilities. This role requires 7+ years of full-stack engineering experience with a proven track record of customer-facing technical leadership, delivering production systems through iterative development cycles at the intersection of customer success and core platform innovation.

What you'll do

Customer Technical Partnership: Embed deeply with strategic enterprise customers to understand their business challenges, technical requirements, and organizational constraints in detail, serving as a trusted technical advisor throughout the engagement lifecycle.
Full-Stack Solution Architecture and Development: Design, architect, and develop scalable full-stack solutions using an experiment-driven, iterative approach that leverages OpenAI's APIs and platforms to address customer problems while maintaining production-grade code quality.
Project Planning and Scope Definition: Prepare detailed scopes of work, technical specifications, and project timelines for proof-of-concept prototypes, pilot deployments, and full production systems, ensuring stakeholder alignment and realistic delivery expectations.
Hands-On Technical Delivery: Work directly with customers' technical teams on their infrastructure, providing code-level expertise, pair programming sessions, and technical mentorship to drive projects from conception through production deployment and successful adoption.
Cross-Functional Collaboration and Feedback Loop: Collaborate seamlessly with OpenAI's Product, Research, Applied Engineering, Sales, Solutions Architecture, and Customer Success teams to ensure exceptional customer experiences, operational success, and actionable product feedback that informs platform improvements.
Knowledge Codification and Best Practices: Contribute to internal knowledge bases, documentation, and architectural patterns by codifying best practices and scaling insights gained from diverse customer engagements across the Forward Deployed Engineering function.

What we look for

Technical

Full-Stack Development ExpertiseProven ability to design and implement end-to-end solutions spanning frontend user interfaces, backend APIs, database systems, and infrastructure deployment across modern technology stacks.
Relational Database ProficiencyStrong hands-on experience with relational databases including PostgreSQL or MySQL, including schema design, query optimization, and data modeling for production systems.
API Integration and Platform DevelopmentDemonstrable experience integrating third-party APIs, building API-first architectures, and developing complex integrations that connect systems with production reliability and scalability requirements.
Production System Deployment and DevOpsExperience deploying and managing production systems with understanding of containerization, cloud platforms, CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, and operational best practices for high-availability services.
Iterative Development and ExperimentationStrong bias toward rapid prototyping, iterative delivery, and data-driven decision making with the ability to balance technical excellence with pragmatic delivery timelines.

Education

Computer Science or Related FieldBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related technical discipline, or equivalent professional demonstrated expertise through significant industry experience.

Experience

7+ Years Full-Stack Engineering ExperienceMinimum 7 years of professional full-stack software engineering experience in relevant roles at technology-driven and product-focused companies, excluding internships and academic projects.
Customer-Facing Technical LeadershipHighly desirable experience working directly with enterprise customers in technical delivery, solutions engineering, or consulting roles where you managed expectations, communicated complex technical concepts, and drove successful project outcomes.
Startup and Product Building ExperiencePlus factor experience as a founder or early-stage engineer (first 10-50 employees) who has architected and shipped products from conception through market deployment, demonstrating ownership mentality and full-stack capability.
Enterprise Integration and Complex SystemsExperience implementing solutions within existing enterprise environments, understanding organizational complexity, change management, and the challenges of integrating new capabilities into legacy systems.

Skills

Required skills

Full-Stack Software ArchitectureAbility to design end-to-end systems, make technology choices, structure codebases for scalability, and balance architectural patterns with practical delivery constraints in production environments.
Backend API DevelopmentProficiency building robust, scalable backend services and APIs, including REST/GraphQL design patterns, authentication/authorization, data modeling, and performance optimization.
Frontend DevelopmentCompetency developing user-facing applications with modern frameworks, ensuring responsive design, accessibility, and integration with backend systems, with focus on user experience and performance.
SQL and Database DesignExpertise with relational databases, including writing efficient queries, designing normalized schemas, understanding indexing strategies, and troubleshooting database performance issues.
System Design and ScalabilityCapability to design systems that scale, including understanding of distributed systems principles, caching strategies, database scaling, microservices considerations, and operational complexity.
Customer Communication and Technical TranslationAbility to translate between customer business requirements and technical implementation, explain complex technical decisions to non-technical stakeholders, and articulate trade-offs clearly.
Project Ownership and ExecutionDemonstrated ability to take end-to-end ownership of projects, manage timelines and scope, coordinate across teams, and drive delivery despite ambiguity and obstacles.

Nice to have

AI/ML Model IntegrationExperience integrating machine learning models or AI capabilities into production systems, understanding model serving infrastructure, inference optimization, and responsible AI deployment practices.
Large Language Model (LLM) ApplicationsHands-on experience building applications that leverage large language models, including prompt engineering, fine-tuning, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and handling model limitations and edge cases.
Enterprise SaaS DevelopmentBackground building or working on enterprise SaaS platforms, understanding compliance requirements, multi-tenancy, security frameworks, and the operational demands of production SaaS services.
Consulting or Solutions EngineeringProfessional services, consulting, or solutions engineering background where you've managed multiple customer engagements, scoped technical work, and delivered custom implementations.
Cloud Platform ExpertiseDeep familiarity with major cloud providers (AWS, GCP, Azure), including deployment architectures, managed services, and the operational considerations of cloud-native development.
Open Source ContributionsActive open source project contributions demonstrating code quality standards, collaborative development practices, community engagement, and ability to work with distributed teams.

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 153,000 – 325,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Comprehensive Health Coverage

Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans with employer coverage of the majority of premiums, ensuring excellent healthcare access for you and your family.

Generous Equity Grants

Meaningful equity compensation in OpenAI, aligning your financial success with company growth and providing long-term wealth-building opportunity.

Retirement Planning

401(k) plan with company matching contributions, supporting long-term financial security and retirement preparation.

Professional Development and Learning

Access to training programs, technical certifications, conference attendance budgets, and learning opportunities to advance your engineering skills and career growth.

Flexible Work Arrangement

Hybrid work model with 3 days in-office per week, providing flexibility to balance collaboration and focused work while maintaining work-life integration.

Relocation Assistance

Comprehensive relocation package supporting your move to Seattle, including housing assistance, moving expenses, and transitional support.

Paid Time Off

Generous paid vacation, sick leave, and personal days supporting work-life balance and well-being.

Parental and Family Benefits

Competitive parental leave, adoption assistance, and family-friendly policies supporting employees at different life stages.

Mental Health and Wellness Programs

Mental health resources, wellness initiatives, fitness benefits, and employee assistance programs supporting your overall well-being.

Travel and Relocation Support

Support for the required 50% travel component, including flight accommodations, ground transportation, and clear policies for managing travel-intensive customer engagements.

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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
PythonTypeScript/JavaScriptSQLJava or Go
Frameworks
React or Vue.jsFastAPI or DjangoExpress.js or Next.jsREST and GraphQL
Databases
PostgreSQLMySQLRedisVector Databases
Tools
Git and GitHub/GitLabDockerKubernetesCI/CD Platforms (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins)AWS, GCP, or AzureMonitoring and Observability ToolsOpenAI API Platform
Other
Prompt Engineering and LLM OptimizationRetrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)System Architecture and Design PatternsAPI Design and IntegrationProject Scoping and Technical Estimation

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