About the RoleAs a Strategic Compute Capacity Planning Lead, you will build and lead OpenAI's capacity planning, allocation, and forecasting function across GPU and non-GPU infrastructure, including CPU and storage. You will translate research, product, and business demand into a disciplined capacity plan that defines what infrastructure we need, when and where we need it, how it should be allocated, and the financial and strategic tradeoffs involved.
We're looking for people who combine strategic thinking, financial judgment, and operational rigor with the ability to build new processes from the ground up. You will partner deeply across technical and business teams to create a forward-looking operating model for capacity planning and help leadership make informed infrastructure decisions.
This role is based in San Francisco, CA. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees.
In this role, you will:- Build the operating model for capacity planning across GPUs, CPUs, storage, and other critical infrastructure.
- Forecast demand across training, inference, research, product, and enterprise workloads.
- Translate demand forecasts into infrastructure requirements, including compute shapes, timing, location, vendor needs, and financial plans.
- Develop frameworks for allocating scarce capacity across competing research, product, and business priorities.
- Model ROI, total cost of ownership, utilization, and strategic tradeoffs for major compute and infrastructure decisions.
- Partner with Strategic Partnerships and infrastructure teams on capacity deals, vendor strategies, and supply commitments.
- Build scenario plans for demand spikes, supply constraints, product launches, and changes to the research roadmap.
- Establish an executive operating cadence for capacity reviews, allocation decisions, forecast updates, and escalations.
- Create clear visibility into supply gaps, demand risks, utilization tradeoffs, and infrastructure investment choices.
- Move capacity planning from an ad hoc process to a rigorous, repeatable, and forward-looking strategic function.
You might thrive in this role if you:- Bring strong experience in strategic planning, finance, operations, infrastructure strategy, partnerships, or complex commercial deals.
- Can translate technical requirements and uncertain demand signals into clear operating and financial plans.
- Have experience evaluating infrastructure investments through ROI, cost, utilization, and scenario-based frameworks.
- Are comfortable working across Research, Product, Engineering, Finance, and business teams with different priorities and planning horizons.
- Can create decision-making frameworks for allocating scarce resources across competing needs.
- Pair strategic judgment with a willingness to work hands-on, especially when building a new function or operating process.
- Communicate complex tradeoffs clearly and can drive alignment with senior technical and business leaders.
- Operate effectively in a fast-moving environment where supply, demand, and organizational priorities can change quickly.
