OpenAI

Software Engineer, Codex Cloud

OpenAI1 months ago
Location

San Francisco

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 230,000 – 325,000

Level

Senior

Role

Software Engineer

Posted

Jan 21, 2026

Full TimeSenior

The role

Summary

OpenAI's Codex Cloud team is seeking a Software Engineer to build AI-powered software engineering products and the underlying runtime infrastructure that transforms Codex from a code generator into a full AI software engineer. This role involves designing cloud-based agentic experiences, building distributed systems for AI agent orchestration, and developing enterprise-grade platform capabilities including container orchestration, security, and enterprise integrations. The position requires strong backend engineering skills, experience with distributed systems, and familiarity with AI-powered development tools.

What you'll do

Shape Codex Evolution: Identify how teams use and break AI-powered software engineering, driving changes across product, infrastructure, and model behavior to make Codex a reliable teammate
Design Customer-Facing Experiences: Create end-to-end software engineering experiences for consumer and enterprise segments to automate and empower engineers in safe software delivery
Build Core Infrastructure: Develop enterprise primitives for Codex scalability including container orchestration, VM provisioning, execution sandboxes, shared block storage, RBAC, and analytics
Design Secure Full-Stack Systems: Own secure, observable systems powering Codex across web, IDEs, CLI, and CI/CD with enterprise identity and governance system integrations
Lead Customer Deployments: Work directly with customers and GTM teams for Codex rollouts, using operational signals to rapidly iterate and improve product and platform capabilities

What we look for

Technical

Strong Software Engineering FundamentalsExperience turning ideas into production-grade large-scale distributed systems with focus on speed, performance, costs, and user experience
AI-Powered Development ToolsExperience using AI-powered/agentic software development tools and familiarity with their strengths and weaknesses
Container OrchestrationExperience with scaled containerization and virtualization systems like Kubernetes and OCI
Backend ProgrammingProficiency in backend languages (Python, Go, Rust) and concurrency/distributed systems concepts with focus on reliability, observability, and security
Enterprise Identity SystemsExperience with team/enterprise foundations including SAML/OIDC, SCIM, RBAC, audit/compliance logging, policy enforcement, and data governance
Developer ToolsExperience building CLI/IDE/SDK tools, automation systems, or integration platforms connecting products to broader tool ecosystems

Education

Bachelor's DegreeBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field, or equivalent practical experience

Experience

5+ Years Experience5+ years of experience in software engineering with focus on distributed systems and cloud infrastructure
Customer-Facing WorkExperience working directly with users/customers or alongside GTM/solutions teams, translating diverse requirements into scalable implementations
0-to-1 EnvironmentExperience in early-stage environments with ability to navigate ambiguity and bring product thinking to technical trade-offs

Skills

Required skills

Distributed SystemsStrong understanding of distributed systems architecture, scalability, and reliability patterns
Cloud InfrastructureExperience with cloud platforms and infrastructure as code for scalable deployments
Container OrchestrationHands-on experience with Kubernetes, Docker, and container orchestration at scale
Backend DevelopmentProficiency in Python, Go, or Rust for backend service development
Security & ComplianceUnderstanding of enterprise security patterns, RBAC, and compliance logging

Nice to have

AI/ML Development ToolsExperience with AI-powered development tools and understanding of their integration challenges
Enterprise IdentityExperience with SAML, OIDC, SCIM, and enterprise identity management systems
Developer ToolingExperience building CLI tools, IDE extensions, and developer productivity platforms
ObservabilityExperience with monitoring, logging, and observability in distributed systems

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 230,000 – 325,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Equity Compensation

Competitive equity package as part of total compensation

Equal Opportunity

Equal opportunity employer with commitment to diversity and inclusion

Reasonable Accommodations

Committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities

Mission-Driven Work

Opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI technology that benefits humanity

Interview process

  1. 1
    Application Review — Initial screening of resume, cover letter, and portfolio for technical qualifications and AI development experience
  2. 2
    Recruiter Phone Screen — 30-minute conversation with recruiter covering background, interest in AI, and basic role fit assessment
  3. 3
    Technical Phone Interview — 45-minute technical discussion focusing on distributed systems, backend development, and problem-solving approach
  4. 4
    System Design Interview — 60-minute system design session focusing on scalable AI agent infrastructure and platform architecture
  5. 5
    Technical Deep Dive — 60-minute technical interview covering distributed systems, container orchestration, and enterprise platform development
  6. 6
    Team Fit Interview — 45-minute behavioral interview assessing collaboration skills, customer focus, and ability to work in ambiguous environments
  7. 7
    Final Interview — 30-minute discussion with senior leadership covering vision alignment, technical leadership potential, and OpenAI mission fit
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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
PythonGoRust
Frameworks
KubernetesOCI
Databases
Distributed Storage
Tools
DockerCI/CD PipelinesIDE ExtensionsCLI Tools
Other
SAML/OIDCSCIMRBACVirtual Machines

Interview Guides

5 guides available for OpenAI

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