# Software Engineer, OpenAI Presence
**Company:** [OpenAI](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/openai)
This is a Senior Backend Engineer position at OpenAI's Presence team, responsible for architecting and building reliable backend systems for AI agents powering enterprise workflows like customer support, sales, and insurance claims. You will provide technical leadership across the full agent development lifecycle—from evaluation and deployment to production improvements—while designing scalable services that connect agents to enterprise systems with voice, chat, policies, and human handoffs. The role demands deep systems expertise, production engineering judgment, and product-minded technical decision-making to establish Presence as a dependable platform for AI-driven business operations.
**Role:** Senior Backend Engineer
**Seniority:** Senior
**Locations:** San Francisco
**Salary:** 230000–385000 USD
[Apply](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/openai/b94099f6-8418-48b0-82b5-5953a27d636f)
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/jobs/openai/software-engineer-openai-presence
---
## Responsibilities

- Hands-On Technical Leadership: Provide technical guidance and architectural direction for the Presence platform, making critical decisions that shape system design, scalability, and reliability while remaining actively involved in implementation and code review processes.
- Backend Systems Architecture: Design and build core backend services that reliably execute high-volume AI agent workflows across enterprise use cases including customer support, sales, and insurance claims, ensuring these systems scale without sacrificing reliability or performance.
- Agent Platform Capabilities Development: Develop and enhance platform features that support the complete agent lifecycle—including agent development frameworks, evaluation mechanisms, learning systems from real-world interactions, and deployment infrastructure for production AI agents.
- Production Reliability and Performance Optimization: Identify and eliminate reliability bottlenecks through systematic analysis, observability improvements, and testing strategies as agent workflows become more complex and usage patterns scale across enterprise customers.
- Cross-Stack Collaboration: Work fluidly across backend infrastructure and product layers, collaborating with engineers across disciplines to translate complex, evolving business requirements into robust, well-architected software systems that balance speed, reliability, and maintainability.

## Requirements

### education

- {"name":"Computer Science or Related Field","description":"Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field preferred, though relevant professional experience and demonstrated expertise can be equivalent or exceed formal education requirements."}

### technical

- {"name":"Backend Programming Mastery","description":"Expert-level proficiency in at least one backend programming language (e.g., Python, Go, Java, Rust) with demonstrated ability to architect production systems that maintain reliability under high throughput and complex operational constraints."}
- {"name":"Distributed Systems and Microservices Architecture","description":"Deep understanding of service-oriented architecture, data model design, interface contracts, and system design patterns that enable services to scale reliably as load increases, including experience with eventual consistency, fault tolerance, and state management."}
- {"name":"Production Engineering and Observability","description":"Strong capability to diagnose complex production failures, reason about system performance and scalability limits, and establish operational discipline through comprehensive logging, metrics, tracing, alerting, and incident response processes."}
- {"name":"Data Systems and Integration","description":"Experience designing data models, APIs, and integration patterns that enable reliable communication between services and external systems, including handling data consistency, validation, and transformation at scale."}

### experience

- {"name":"Senior Backend Engineering Leadership","description":"9+ years of professional software engineering experience in backend, platform, or product engineering roles (excluding internships), with a track record of hands-on technical leadership and successful architectural decisions that improved system reliability, performance, or scalability."}
- {"name":"End-to-End System Ownership","description":"Demonstrated ownership of complex systems or significant product capabilities from ambiguous requirements through technical design, implementation, launch, and ongoing production iterations, managing tradeoffs and driving systems to success."}
- {"name":"Cross-Functional Technical Communication","description":"Proven ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly, explain architectural tradeoffs to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, create alignment across disciplines, and drive large-scale technical initiatives forward."}
- {"name":"Rapid Domain Learning","description":"Demonstrated ability to quickly understand and navigate unfamiliar technical systems, tools, frameworks, and business domains while maintaining effectiveness and making sound technical decisions in new contexts."}

## Skills

### required

- {"name":"Backend Systems Design","description":"Proven expertise in designing reliable, scalable backend systems with deep understanding of service architecture, data modeling, API design, and operational patterns that maintain system integrity under production load."}
- {"name":"Production Engineering Judgment","description":"Strong capability to diagnose performance issues, optimize system reliability, establish observability infrastructure, and apply operational best practices that keep systems running dependably in production."}
- {"name":"Product-Oriented Technical Thinking","description":"Ability to connect technical decisions directly to user needs and business impact, balancing engineering discipline with pragmatic delivery timelines and making tradeoff decisions between reliability, security, speed, and maintainability."}
- {"name":"Architectural Decision Making","description":"Experience setting technical direction, making architectural choices with long-term implications, documenting decisions clearly, and guiding implementation teams through complex engineering challenges."}
- {"name":"Systems Complexity Management","description":"Demonstrated ability to break down ambiguous, complex problems into clear implementation plans, manage dependencies, sequence work logically, and keep large systems comprehensible and maintainable."}

### preferred

- {"name":"AI Agent Development Experience","description":"Background building AI agent frameworks, agent evaluation platforms, or systems that support agentic workflows provides valuable domain context but is not required for this role."}
- {"name":"Enterprise Integration Expertise","description":"Experience designing systems that integrate with diverse enterprise applications, handle varied data formats, and support complex business workflows is valuable for understanding customer requirements."}
- {"name":"Voice and Chat Infrastructure","description":"Familiarity with building or integrating voice platforms, real-time chat systems, or multi-modal communication infrastructure would accelerate ramp-up on Presence's voice and chat components."}
- {"name":"Enterprise Workflow Automation","description":"Experience building systems for customer support automation, sales workflows, insurance claims processing, or similar enterprise use cases provides useful context for designing agent-powered systems."}

## Tech stack

### tools

- {"name":"Kubernetes","description":"Container orchestration platform for managing deployment, scaling, and reliability of distributed agent services at enterprise scale."}
- {"name":"Datadog or Observability Platforms","description":"Comprehensive monitoring, tracing, and alerting infrastructure essential for diagnosing production issues in complex agent systems."}
- {"name":"Git and Modern Development Workflows","description":"Version control, code review processes, and collaborative development practices that maintain code quality and architectural consistency."}
- {"name":"Load Testing and Performance Analysis Tools","description":"For validating system scalability, identifying bottlenecks, and ensuring agent platforms maintain reliability under enterprise-scale traffic patterns."}

### others

- {"name":"API Design and Documentation","description":"Designing clear, consistent service interfaces that scale across many teams and enable reliable integration with enterprise customer systems."}
- {"name":"Incident Response and Postmortem Processes","description":"Establishing and maintaining practices that build organizational learning from production incidents and drive continuous reliability improvements."}
- {"name":"Documentation and Technical Communication","description":"Creating clear architectural documentation, decision records, runbooks, and communications that enable team knowledge sharing and reduce operational friction."}
- {"name":"Security and Data Protection Practices","description":"Understanding security requirements for enterprise systems, data protection compliance, and establishing secure-by-design principles in agent platforms."}

### databases

- {"name":"PostgreSQL","description":"Industry-standard relational database for structured data, agent state management, workflow definitions, and consistency-critical enterprise data."}
- {"name":"Redis","description":"Caching and real-time state management for high-volume agent workflows, session management, and performance optimization of frequently accessed data."}
- {"name":"Elasticsearch or Similar Search Systems","description":"For searching and analyzing logs, interactions, and agent execution history; enables debugging and learning from agent behavior at scale."}
- {"name":"Time-Series Databases","description":"For tracking agent performance metrics, reliability signals, and operational data that evolves with high-volume workflow execution."}

### languages

- {"name":"Python","description":"Primary language for AI/ML systems and backend services at OpenAI; expected to be proficient or willing to rapidly develop expertise."}
- {"name":"TypeScript/JavaScript","description":"Common for API layers, service development, and systems that interface with web platforms; useful for full-stack capability when needed."}
- {"name":"Go","description":"Increasingly used for performance-critical infrastructure and microservices requiring high throughput and low latency; excellent choice for systems design in this role."}
- {"name":"SQL","description":"Essential for data modeling, complex queries, and working with relational databases that store agent states, workflows, and enterprise data."}

### frameworks

- {"name":"FastAPI or Similar Modern Web Frameworks","description":"For building RESTful and async APIs that power agent services; FastAPI is popular at OpenAI for its performance and type safety."}
- {"name":"gRPC","description":"For efficient service-to-service communication, particularly important in microservices architectures handling high-volume agent workflows."}
- {"name":"Async/Await Patterns","description":"Critical for managing I/O-bound operations in high-volume systems where agent workflows involve multiple external calls and long-running processes."}
- {"name":"Event-Driven Architecture Frameworks","description":"Systems for managing asynchronous workflows, event sourcing, and state management as agents process complex multi-step business operations."}

## Benefits

### benefits

- {"name":"Competitive Equity and Stock Options","description":"Significant equity grants as part of total compensation, providing ownership stake in OpenAI's growth and alignment with long-term company success in AI development."}
- {"name":"Comprehensive Health and Wellness Coverage","description":"Medical, dental, and vision insurance with employee contributions comparable to industry standards; includes mental health support, fertility benefits, and wellness programs."}
- {"name":"401(k) Retirement Planning","description":"Employer-sponsored 401(k) plan with competitive matching contributions to support long-term financial security and retirement planning."}
- {"name":"Flexible Work Arrangements","description":"Flexibility in work location and scheduling to support individual productivity and work-life balance, with collaboration expectations for core team presence."}
- {"name":"Professional Development and Learning","description":"Investment in ongoing skill development through conference attendance, training programs, and learning resources to stay current with evolving technologies and AI landscape."}
- {"name":"Parental Leave and Family Support","description":"Generous parental leave policies for biological, adoptive, and foster parents; includes backup childcare support and family-friendly benefits."}
- {"name":"Unlimited Paid Time Off","description":"Flexible paid time off policy that encourages work-life balance and time for rest, personal projects, and family commitments throughout the year."}
- {"name":"Life and Disability Insurance","description":"Company-paid life insurance and short/long-term disability coverage providing financial security for employees and their families."}

## Compensation

- **max:** 380000
- **min:** 220000
- **currency:** USD
- **stockOptions:** true

## Interview process

### steps

- {"name":"Initial Screening Call","description":"Brief conversation with recruiter to discuss background, experience level, career trajectory, and mutual fit for the role; typically 30 minutes focusing on experience verification and role expectations."}
- {"name":"Technical Architecture Discussion","description":"In-depth conversation with senior engineers on the Presence team about your approach to system design, past architectural decisions, and how you think about tradeoffs between reliability, scalability, and maintainability; demonstrates production engineering judgment and communication clarity."}
- {"name":"Systems Design Problem","description":"Collaborative session where you work through a system design challenge relevant to agent infrastructure or high-volume backend services; evaluated on ability to break down complex problems, consider reliability at scale, and communicate design rationale clearly."}
- {"name":"Production Engineering and Debugging","description":"Technical interview focused on diagnosing complex production issues, analyzing performance data, and applying operational discipline; assesses your ability to reason about reliability, observability, and troubleshooting strategies."}
- {"name":"Leadership and Collaboration Assessment","description":"Conversation with team lead or hiring manager about your experience with technical leadership, cross-functional collaboration, product judgment, and how you guide teams through ambiguous technical challenges."}
- {"name":"Final Leadership Interview","description":"Discussion with director or principal engineer focused on long-term vision alignment, how you approach architectural direction at scale, and your perspectives on building reliable systems in a rapidly evolving AI landscape."}

## Full description
**About the Team**

OpenAI Presence, part of Enterprise Engineering, builds a platform for reliable AI agents that carry out high-volume business workflows. We focus on specific use cases such as customer support, sales, and insurance claims, helping organizations put agents to work in production.

The Presence platform supports the agent development lifecycle, including evaluation, deployment, and improvement through real interactions. It connects agents to company systems and supports voice and chat experiences, with policies, guardrails, and human handoffs to help businesses stay in control. Read the [launch announcement](https://openai.com/index/introducing-openai-presence/).

**About the Role**

We’re looking for an engineer to help shape the foundations of Presence and build the systems that make AI agents dependable in everyday business operations. You’ll help set the platform’s technical direction while staying close to the code, taking architecture from early decisions through to systems that perform reliably at scale.

You’ll bring deep backend expertise and the product judgment to connect what we build with how businesses use it. The work centers on the services that power Presence and extends across the stack—giving you scope to shape both the underlying systems and the experiences they enable.

**In this role, you will:**

* Provide hands-on technical leadership, guiding architectural decisions and implementation across the Presence platform.
* Design and build backend systems for reliable, high-volume agent workflows in support, sales, and other enterprise use cases.
* Develop platform capabilities that support agent development and learning from real-world use.
* Identify and address reliability bottlenecks as agent workflows become more complex and usage grows.
* Work across backend infrastructure and product experiences as needed, collaborating with other engineers to turn evolving requirements into working software.

**Your background might look something like:**

* 9+ years of professional engineering experience, excluding internships, in backend, platform, or product engineering roles.
* A track record of hands-on technical leadership, including setting architecture, breaking complex problems into clear implementation plans, and guiding engineers through delivery.
* Deep backend engineering and systems design skills, with proficiency in at least one backend programming language and experience designing services, data models, and interfaces that remain reliable as usage grows.
* End-to-end ownership of complex systems or product capabilities, from ambiguous requirements and technical design through implementation, launch, and production iteration.
* Strong production engineering judgment: you can diagnose difficult failures, reason about performance and scalability, and improve reliability through testing, observability, and operational discipline.
* Strong product judgment that connects technical decisions to user needs, with the ability to balance delivery speed, reliability, security, and long-term maintainability.
* The ability to move between backend infrastructure and product experiences, contribute across the stack when needed, and quickly learn unfamiliar systems, tools, and domains.
* Clear technical communication and effective collaboration across disciplines, including explaining trade-offs, creating alignment, and driving complex work forward while remaining hands-on.
* Experience with AI agents, enterprise workflows, integrations, or agent development and evaluation is a plus, but not required.

**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](https://cdn.openai.com/policies/eeo-policy-statement.pdf).

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.

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