Software Engineer, API SDK

Senior · Full Time

SeattleUSD 293k – 385k2mo ago
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Role

What you'll do.

OpenAI is seeking a skilled Software Engineer to enhance their API SDK development, focusing on creating and maintaining high-quality developer tools across multiple programming languages. The ideal candidate will play a crucial role in shaping the developer experience for OpenAI's world-leading AI platform, working to streamline SDK maintenance and support innovative API features.

Responsibilities

  • SDK Development: Define and implement SDK experiences for new and future API features across multiple programming languages
  • SDK Infrastructure: Build and maintain automated systems for streamlined SDK maintenance and generation
  • Strategic Planning: Contribute to SDK strategy and roadmap, including language support and feature development
  • Cross-Team Collaboration: Work closely with API, Developer Experience, and Go-to-Market teams to optimize SDK performance
  • Developer Support: Directly engage with developers by adding features, resolving issues, and improving documentation

Qualifications

What we look for.

Technical

  • Programming Languages

    Proficiency in multiple programming languages (Python, Node.js, Golang, Java, Ruby)

  • SDK Development

    Experience in building or maintaining software development kits (SDKs)

  • API Design

    Strong understanding of API design principles and developer experience

Education

  • Computer Science

    Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field preferred

Experience

  • Professional Experience

    7+ years of professional engineering experience in tech and product-driven companies

  • Open Source Engagement

    Active participation and contribution to open source communities

Skills

Required

  • SDK Development

    Expertise in creating and maintaining software development kits

  • Collaborative Problem Solving

    Ability to work effectively in fast-paced, ambiguous environments

Preferred

  • AI Development

    Nice to have

    Prior experience with AI platforms and developer tools

  • Multilingual SDK Development

    Nice to have

    Experience supporting SDKs across multiple programming languages

Tech stack

Languages

PythonNode.jsGolangJavaRuby

Tools

OpenAI API

Other

SDK Generation Tools

Compensation

Pay and benefits.

Base·USD 293,000 – 385,000

Equity·Stock options

Benefits

  • Equity Compensation

    Stock options or equity package included in compensation

  • Innovative Work Environment

    Opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI technology with global impact

  • Hybrid Work Arrangement

    Flexible work model combining remote and in-office work

Process

Interview steps.

  1. 01

    Initial Screening

    Resume and background review by OpenAI recruiting team

  2. 02

    Technical Interview

    Technical assessment of SDK development and programming skills

  3. 03

    Team Interviews

    Multiple rounds of interviews with API and SDK development team members

  4. 04

    Final Evaluation

    Comprehensive assessment of technical skills, cultural fit, and alignment with OpenAI's mission

Full posting

Original listing.

About the Team

Our team brings OpenAI’s most capable technology to the world through our developer platform: the OpenAI API. As the leading AI development platform, our API is used by millions of developers and the majority of enterprises around the world, and powers the majority of AI applications that you may use on a daily basis. The platform supports everything from simple model calls to stateful, multimodal, tool-using applications through the Responses API, Agents SDK, Realtime API, and more. Our SDKs turn that fast-moving platform into reliable, idiomatic developer experiences across languages.

About the Role

We are looking for a software engineer to help build the official SDKs that power the OpenAI API. Currently offered in Python, Node.js, Golang, Java, and Ruby – our SDKs are some of the most popular in the world. You will help shape the developer experience for all new API features, as well as all future versions of our APIs. We are looking for engineers who will sweat the details about SDK design, who love building for AI developers, and who believe in the potential for AI to transform the world for the better. Prior experience building SDKs is lovely, but not absolutely necessary.

In this role, you will:

  • Define and implement the SDK experience for all new API features, as well as all future versions of our API.

  • Build and maintain our systems to make SDK maintenance and generation streamlined and automated.

  • Contribute to our SDK strategy and roadmap, including which languages to support and what features to support.

  • Collaborate closely with the rest of the API team, our Developer Experience team, and our GTM team to make our SDKs the best in the world.

  • Work directly with developers adding features, fixing issues, and contributing to documentation.

Your background might look something like:

  • 7+ years of professional engineering experience (excluding internships) in relevant roles at tech and product-driven companies

  • You love building for other developers, and thrive on feedback from opinionated users

  • You thrive working in the open source community, and love engaging directly with developers

  • You can thrive and operate independently in a fast-paced environment with ambiguous requirements and goals

  • You are an engineer at heart, but are willing to lean into product decisions

  • You have previous experience maintaining SDKs or building SDK generation software

Compensation Range: $293K - $385K USD

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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