OpenAI

Software Engineer, Core Science

OpenAI6 days ago
Location

San Francisco

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 293,000 – 385,000

Level

Senior

Role

Software Engineer

Posted

May 22, 2026

Full TimeSenior

The role

Summary

OpenAI's Core Sciences team is seeking a Software Engineer to build innovative AI-powered tools and infrastructure that accelerate scientific research across domains like biology, physics, and chemistry. The role involves developing cutting-edge backend systems and full-stack experiences that enable researchers to leverage AI for advanced scientific workflows and discoveries.

What you'll do

AI-Powered Scientific Research Infrastructure: Design and build backend systems and full-stack product experiences for AI-native scientific research workflows across Prism and Codex platforms.
Scientific Workflow Development: Create AI-native workflows for paper writing, literature review, research synthesis, and scientific knowledge exploration across complex technical content and heterogeneous sources.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with researchers and domain experts to understand research workflows, identify AI opportunities, and translate scientific needs into robust product capabilities.
Data Analysis and Simulation Tools: Build AI-powered tools for scientific data analysis, computational experiments, and hypothesis iteration to enhance research efficiency and insights.
Platform Foundation Development: Establish product, platform, and engineering foundations for fast-moving 0→1 efforts, balancing rapid experimentation with rigorous reliability and quality standards.

What we look for

Technical

Backend EngineeringStrong fundamentals in backend or full-stack engineering with experience in transforming complex product concepts into reliable production systems.
Distributed SystemsExperience building scalable distributed systems, developer platforms, and data-intensive applications.
AI System DevelopmentCapability to develop retrieval systems, knowledge systems, workflow tools, and model-powered product experiences.

Education

Computer Science or Related FieldBachelor's or advanced degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a relevant technical discipline.

Experience

0→1 Product DevelopmentProven track record of working in highly ambiguous environments with evolving product directions, technical architectures, and model capabilities.
Scientific Domain ExposureFamiliarity or curiosity about scientific workflows in computational biology, chemistry, biomedical research, or related domains.

Skills

Required skills

Backend DevelopmentProficiency in building scalable backend services and full-stack applications
System ArchitectureAbility to design complex, performant, and maintainable software systems
AI IntegrationExperience integrating AI capabilities into product workflows

Nice to have

Scientific ComputingBackground or strong interest in scientific research tools and computational methods
Machine Learning InfrastructureExperience with ML model deployment and scientific workflow automation

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 293,000 – 385,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Equity Compensation

Stock options offering potential for significant additional compensation

Relocation Assistance

Support for new employees moving to San Francisco

Hybrid Work Model

Flexible work arrangement with 3 days per week in San Francisco office

Interview process

  1. 1
    Initial Screening — Resume review and initial recruiter conversation
  2. 2
    Technical Phone Screen — Detailed discussion of technical skills and experience with AI and backend systems
  3. 3
    Technical Interviews — Multiple rounds of in-depth technical interviews focusing on system design, coding skills, and problem-solving
  4. 4
    Team Fit Interview — Discussion with team members to assess cultural alignment and collaborative potential
  5. 5
    Final Interview — Meeting with senior leadership to discuss broader vision and role expectations
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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
Frameworks
ReactDjango
Databases
PostgreSQLMongoDB
Tools
DockerKubernetes
Other
Machine Learning LibrariesCloud Platforms

Interview Guides

5 guides available for OpenAI

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