Software Engineer, Compute Infrastructure

OpenAI

. Spin up and scale large Kubernetes clusters, including automation for provisioning, bootstrapping, and cluster lifecycle management .

Posted 4/27/2026full-timeSan Francisco • California • 🇺🇸 United StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 $230,000 - $405,000 per yearWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Distributed SystemsKubernetesNode.js

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Spin up and scale large Kubernetes clusters, including automation for provisioning, bootstrapping, and cluster lifecycle management
Build software abstractions that unify multiple clusters and present a seamless interface to training workloads
Own node bring-up from bare metal through firmware upgrades, ensuring fast, repeatable deployment at massive scale
Improve operational metrics such as reducing cluster restart times (e.g., from hours to minutes) and accelerating firmware or OS upgrade cycles
Integrate networking and hardware health systems to deliver end-to-end reliability across servers, switches, and data center infrastructure
Develop monitoring and observability systems to detect issues early and keep clusters stable under extreme load

Requirements

What you’ll need

Experience as an infrastructure, systems, or distributed systems engineer in large-scale or high-availability environments
Strong knowledge of Kubernetes internals, cluster scaling patterns, and containerized workloads
Proficiency in compute infrastructure concepts (compute, networking, storage, security) and in automating cluster or data center operations
Bonus: background with GPU workloads, firmware management, or high-performance computing

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family, with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts
Pre-tax accounts for Health FSA, Dependent Care FSA, and commuter expenses (parking and transit)
401(k) retirement plan with employer match
Paid parental leave (up to 24 weeks for birth parents and 20 weeks for non-birthing parents), plus paid medical and caregiver leave (up to 8 weeks)
Paid time off: flexible PTO for exempt employees and up to 15 days annually for non-exempt employees
13+ paid company holidays, and multiple paid coordinated company office closures throughout the year for focus and recharge, plus paid sick or safe time (1 hour per 30 hours worked, or more, as required by applicable state or local law)
Mental health and wellness support
Employer-paid basic life and disability coverage
Annual learning and development stipend to fuel your professional growth
Daily meals in our offices, and meal delivery credits as eligible
Relocation support for eligible employees
Additional taxable fringe benefits, such as charitable donation matching and wellness stipends, may also be provided.

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Hard Skills & Tools

Kubernetesautomationfirmware upgradescluster lifecycle managementmonitoring systemsobservability systemsnetworkinghardware health systemscompute infrastructureGPU workloads