Systems Engineer • Mid-Level

Who you are

You have experience shipping production systems software on modern operating systems — you've designed, implemented, and debugged core platform components that ensure reliability and performance. Proficiency in C and C++ is second nature to you, and you understand the intricacies of system-level programming across kernel and user space.

You are familiar with configuring and maintaining OS platform services, including init, services, networking, and security policies. Your background includes building and operating image and update pipelines, ensuring reliability, reproducibility, and rollback safety in production environments.

You thrive in collaborative settings, working closely with cross-functional teams to define interfaces and deliver end-to-end features. Your strong engineering practices include code reviews, continuous integration, reproducible builds, and effective release management.

You have a keen interest in performance optimization — you can instrument and analyze performance using profiling and tracing tools, and you are adept at optimizing CPU, memory, I/O, and power usage. Your experience includes owning platform observability and reliability, implementing logging, crash capture, watchdogs, and diagnostics.

Desirable

Experience with cloud platforms and containerization technologies would be a plus, as would familiarity with external suppliers to support builds and deployments. You are always eager to learn and adapt to new technologies and methodologies that enhance system performance and security.

What you'll do

In this role, you will design, implement, and debug system-level components and services across kernel and user space. You will configure and maintain OS platform services, ensuring they meet the performance and security standards required for consumer products. Your responsibilities will include building and operating image and update pipelines, ensuring that they are reliable and can be rolled back safely if necessary.

You will instrument and analyze performance using profiling and tracing tools, focusing on optimizing CPU, memory, I/O, and power usage. Your role will also involve owning platform observability and reliability, which includes implementing logging, crash capture, watchdogs, and diagnostics to ensure system integrity.

Collaboration is key in this position — you will work closely with cross-functional teams to define interfaces and deliver end-to-end features that enhance the user experience. You will establish strong engineering practices within the team, including code reviews, CI, reproducible builds, and effective release management.

You will also partner with external suppliers to support builds and deployments, ensuring that all components are integrated smoothly into the overall system architecture. Your contributions will directly impact the reliability and performance of the products we deliver to consumers.

What we offer

At OpenAI, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We offer competitive compensation and benefits, including relocation assistance for those who need it. You will have the opportunity to work in a hybrid environment, spending four days onsite in our San Francisco office and one day working remotely each week. Join us in shaping the future of technology and making a meaningful impact through your work.