OpenAI

Software Engineer - Privacy & Compliance

OpenAI5 months ago
Location

San Francisco

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 230,000 – 385,000

Level

Senior

Role

Backend Engineer

Posted

Oct 17, 2025

Full TimeSenior

The role

Summary

OpenAI is seeking a Senior Software Engineer specializing in Privacy & Compliance to architect and build backend systems that enforce data privacy and automate compliance at scale. This high-impact role involves designing distributed authorization mechanisms, implementing policy-driven data access controls, and partnering with cross-functional teams to embed privacy-by-design principles into AI infrastructure. The position requires 5+ years of backend systems experience with expertise in distributed authorization, privacy regulations, and scalable technical design.

What you'll do

Backend Systems Design: Design, build, and operate backend services that enforce policy-driven data access, lifecycle controls, and privacy protections
Authorization Systems: Develop distributed authorization and identity-aware enforcement mechanisms integrated directly into data services and control planes
Compliance Implementation: Implement auditability, policy hooks, and enforcement observability to ensure compliance is continuously verifiable
Cross-functional Partnership: Partner with Security, Legal, and Compliance teams to convert privacy requirements into scalable technical designs and developer-friendly APIs
Data Platform Hardening: Harden data platforms and backend services through schema-level controls and data handling constraints by default
Infrastructure Collaboration: Collaborate with infrastructure teams to ensure consistent enforcement across systems while minimizing duplicated implementations
Knowledge Sharing: Contribute patterns, libraries, and education that elevate trustworthy data access patterns across the organization

What we look for

Technical

Backend Systems5+ years building and operating backend or infrastructure systems in production
Programming LanguagesStrong fluency in Python, Go, Rust, C++, or Java
Authorization SystemsExperience with distributed authorization, RBAC/ACL systems, encryption-based access, or policy engines
Privacy RegulationsFamiliarity with global privacy regulations and their architectural implications

Education

Computer ScienceBachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field
Engineering FundamentalsStrong foundation in software engineering principles and distributed systems

Experience

Production Systems5+ years of experience building and operating backend systems in production environments
Cross-functional CollaborationProven ability to influence and collaborate with teams across legal, compliance, product, and engineering
Privacy EngineeringExperience with privacy-by-design principles and compliance automation

Skills

Required skills

Backend Development5+ years of backend systems development and operations
Distributed SystemsExperience with scalable distributed architecture
Authorization SystemsRBAC, ACL, and policy engine implementation
Privacy RegulationsUnderstanding of GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy laws
Cross-functional CollaborationWorking with legal, compliance, and product teams

Nice to have

Cloud PlatformsExperience with Azure, AWS, or GCP
Security EngineeringBackground in security and privacy engineering
Data GovernanceExperience with data governance frameworks
ML InfrastructureExposure to machine learning platform development
Regulated EnvironmentsPrior work in highly regulated or sensitive data environments

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 230,000 – 385,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Equity Compensation

Stock options and equity participation in OpenAI's growth

Competitive Salary

Industry-leading compensation package from $230K to $385K

Equal Opportunity

Inclusive workplace with equal opportunity employment practices

Reasonable Accommodations

Support for applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process

Privacy Protection

Comprehensive privacy policy for applicant data protection

Interview process

  1. 1
    Application Review — Initial screening of resume, portfolio, and technical background
  2. 2
    Technical Phone Screen — 45-60 minute discussion of backend systems design and privacy engineering concepts
  3. 3
    System Design Interview — Design a privacy-compliant data access system with enforcement mechanisms
  4. 4
    Technical Deep Dive — Code review and discussion of distributed authorization implementations
  5. 5
    Cross-functional Interview — Scenario-based discussion with legal/compliance stakeholders
  6. 6
    Final Interview — Culture fit and leadership discussion with senior engineering team
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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
PythonGoRustC++Java
Frameworks
Policy EnginesRBAC/ACL SystemsIdentity Management
Databases
Distributed Data SystemsMetadata StoresAudit Logs
Tools
AzureAWSGCPEncryption SystemsControl Plane Systems
Other
ML InfrastructureData GovernanceObservability Tools

Interview Guides

5 guides available for OpenAI

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