Senior Counsel, Sanctions and Trade Compliance

OpenAI

. Advise cross-functional teams on compliance and legal requirements applicable to OpenAI’s products and services under U.S.

Posted 4/29/2026full-timeSan Francisco • California, New York, Washington • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $297,000 - $330,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Advise cross-functional teams on compliance and legal requirements applicable to OpenAI’s products and services under U.S. and international sanctions regimes.
Develop sanctions compliance strategies and processes at a global scale for a frontier AI company operating across jurisdictions and products.
Partner closely with cross-functional teams across Finance, Integrity, GRC, and Engineering to implement sanctions screening and controls that are deeply embedded into business workflows.
Own compliance documentation and reporting, including policies, standards, dashboards, metrics, and escalation frameworks to enable rapid monitoring, assessment, and improvement of compliance processes
Work with cross-functional teams to deeply understand and integrate compliance systems and tools, ensuring compliance checks are seamless, reliable, and adaptable as OpenAI evolves.
Lead ongoing reviews and risk assessments to ensure the continued effectiveness of our compliance controls and processes.
Manage and coordinate vendors and other third parties who support OpenAI’s compliance operations.
Assist in the development of trade compliance training materials for our cross-functional partners and business teams.
Explore and deploy AI tools to enhance and streamline OpenAI’s trade compliance efforts.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Have 10+ years of experience in the trade compliance field, including developing and implementing trade compliance programs at a large, technology-focused company.
Hold a J.D. from an accredited law school and maintain an active license to practice law, in good standing, in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
Bring a sophisticated understanding of how US and international sanctions laws apply to multinational US companies.
Have successfully embedded comprehensive compliance programs and incorporated compliance processes into complex business workflows without slowing innovation.
Enjoy learning new systems and becoming the go-to expert in the systems and technical tools required for your job.
Are highly skilled at program management, including organizing complex systems, tasks, processes, and documentation.
Communicate in a way that builds trust with cross-functional teams, from engineers to business leaders.
Have a strong sense of ownership, are inquisitive and enthusiastic about technology, enjoy being continually challenged, and can demonstrate sound judgment in ambiguous situations.

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

trade compliancesanctions compliancecompliance documentationrisk assessmentsprogram managementcompliance strategiescompliance processescompliance controlscompliance systemslegal requirements

Soft Skills

communicationcross-functional collaborationorganizational skillsproblem-solvingownershipinquisitivenessenthusiasm for technologytrust-buildingadaptabilityjudgment in ambiguity

Certifications

J.D.active law license