OpenAI

System Software Engineer, Consumer Devices

OpenAI3 months ago
Location

San Francisco

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 293,000 – 325,000

Level

Senior

Role

System Software Engineer

Posted

Dec 16, 2025

Full TimeSenior

The role

Summary

OpenAI is seeking a System Software Engineer to build foundational platform software for consumer devices, working across operating system layers to deliver reliable, secure, and performant products from kernel to user space with focus on performance optimization and system debugging.

What you'll do

System Component Development: Design, implement, and debug system-level components and services across kernel and user space
Platform Services Management: Configure and maintain OS platform services including init, services, networking, and security policies
Image Pipeline Operations: Build and operate image and update pipelines ensuring reliability, reproducibility, and rollback safety
Performance Optimization: Instrument and analyze performance using profiling and tracing to optimize CPU, memory, I/O, and power usage
Platform Observability: Own platform observability and reliability including logging, crash capture, watchdogs, and diagnostics
Cross-functional Collaboration: Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define interfaces and deliver end-to-end features
Engineering Practices: Establish strong engineering practices including code review, CI, reproducible builds, and release management
Supplier Partnership: Partner with external suppliers to support builds and deployments

What we look for

Technical

Production Systems ExperienceExperience shipping production systems software on modern operating systems
Systems ProgrammingProficiency in C/C++ and scripting languages with deep OS internals knowledge
Systems DebuggingStrong debugging skills using debuggers, tracers, profilers, and logs across kernel/user-space boundaries
Platform ConfigurationUnderstanding of platform services configuration and API design
User-space FoundationsFluency in service management, IPC, networking, packaging, and automation
Platform ImagesExperience building platform images and designing update mechanisms

Education

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

Experience

Systems Software Development5+ years of experience in systems software development and low-level programming
Operating SystemsDeep experience with OS internals including concurrency, memory management, filesystems, networking, and power management

Skills

Required skills

C/C++ ProgrammingExpert-level proficiency in C/C++ for systems programming
Operating System InternalsDeep understanding of OS internals including kernel, memory management, and networking
Systems DebuggingAdvanced debugging skills across kernel and user-space boundaries
Platform ServicesConfiguration and management of OS platform services and APIs
Performance AnalysisProfiling and tracing for CPU, memory, I/O, and power optimization

Nice to have

Platform SecurityExperience with secure boot, sandboxing, mandatory access controls, and attestation
Graphics/MediaExperience with graphics/media pipelines and hardware acceleration
NetworkingFamiliarity with connectivity stacks and network configuration
Distributed SystemsObservability and diagnostics in distributed or resource-constrained environments
Open SourceContributions to open-source platforms or systems projects

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 293,000 – 325,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Relocation Assistance

Full relocation assistance available for candidates moving to San Francisco

Hybrid Work

Flexible hybrid work arrangement with 4 days onsite per week

Equity Compensation

Competitive equity package in addition to base salary

Equal Opportunity

Equal opportunity employer with commitment to diversity and inclusion

Reasonable Accommodations

Commitment to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities

Interview process

  1. 1
    Initial Screening — Phone or video screening with recruiter to discuss background and role fit
  2. 2
    Technical Phone Screen — Technical interview focusing on systems programming concepts and debugging scenarios
  3. 3
    Systems Design Interview — System architecture and low-level design discussion with focus on performance and reliability
  4. 4
    Coding Interview — Live coding session in C/C++ with systems programming problems
  5. 5
    Onsite Technical Rounds — Multiple technical interviews covering kernel development, debugging, and platform engineering
  6. 6
    Team Fit Interview — Cultural fit and collaboration assessment with potential team members
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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
C/C++Scripting Languages
Frameworks
Linux KernelSystem Services
Tools
DebuggersProfilersTracersCI/CD
Other
Operating SystemsPlatform ImagesSecurity Systems

Interview Guides

5 guides available for OpenAI

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