About the RoleWe're looking for a backend engineer who can quickly understand OpenAI's models, products, and systems, then adapt first-party deployments for other cloud platforms. You'll build backend services, APIs, SDK integrations, authentication flows, and cloud service infrastructure that let developers use OpenAI capabilities in the cloud environments where they already build. This role involves working across teams, sometimes embedded with partner product groups, to ship products quickly and across multiple platforms at the same time. It's a strong fit for engineers who have built developer tools, especially AI-powered tools, communicate clearly across technical boundaries, and can shape architectures that support different deployment models; experience building cloud services is a strong plus.
In this role, you will:- Build backend and infrastructure systems that extend OpenAI's API platform into cloud-native environments, like AWS.
- Design and ship cloud-contained products that allow customers to use OpenAI capabilities while keeping workloads and data within cloud environments.
- Help stand up cloud-hosted Codex experiences powered by the OpenAI Responses API.
- Build the infrastructure and runtime abstractions for a stateful, cloud-optimized agentic platform.
- Partner closely with external cloud partners as well as internal teams across Codex, Research, and Safety Systems to translate emerging capabilities into production-ready systems.
- Improve the reliability, scalability, observability, and operational maturity of the services underpinning these products.
- Help shape the technical direction of a new and growing team as it scales from an early core group into a larger engineering organization.
Your background might look something like:- 7+ years of professional engineering experience (excluding internships) in relevant roles at tech and product-driven companies.
- Proficient in one or more backend languages (e.g., Python, Go, Rust, Typescript or similar) and distributed systems concepts.
- Experience building developer tools, especially AI-powered tools, excellent technical communication, and the ability to shape architectures that support different deployment models. Experience building cloud services is a strong plus.
- Experience turning ambiguous, fast-moving technical problems into pragmatic, durable systems.
- Experience working with cloud infrastructure primitives and production service ownership.
- Experience collaborating cross-functionally with platform, research, safety, or external partner teams is a plus.
- Interest in AI infrastructure, agentic systems, and developer platforms.
- Interest in AI/ML (direct experience not required)
- Proven ability to thrive in fast-growing, product-driven companies by effectively navigating loosely defined tasks and managing competing priorities or deadlines.
