OpenAI
Backend Engineer, Consumer Devices
About this role
Join OpenAI's Software Engineering team to design and build scalable, secure backend systems powering consumer devices. This role combines system architecture, API design, and cross-functional collaboration, requiring 7+ years of backend expertise and the ability to balance rapid iteration with long-term maintainability.
What you'll do
- Architect and maintain high-performance, secure backend systems and APIs
- Design data models and infrastructure supporting evolving product requirements
- Balance development velocity with scalability and long-term system health
- Collaborate with product, hardware, and full-stack teams on end-to-end solutions
- Optimize system performance and security across hardware-to-cloud integration
What they're looking for
- Backend system design and architecture
- Python and Go proficiency
- System design and performance optimization
- Security best practices
- Full-stack reasoning (hardware through cloud)
- Distributed systems (nice to have)
- Cloud infrastructure
- Instrumentation and analytics (nice to have)
Benefits
- Hybrid work model (4 days per week in office)
- Based in San Francisco, CA
- Relocation assistance provided
- Equal opportunity employer with diversity commitment
- Reasonable accommodations available for applicants with disabilities
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OpenAI
OpenAI builds AI infrastructure and products, including large-scale data center campuses for AI computing and generative AI applications for enterprise customers. The company is hiring civil engineers, project engineers, electrical design engineers, data center R&D engineers, and AI deployment engineers to expand its infrastructure capabilities and help customers deploy AI solutions.
View all jobs at OpenAILikely interview questions
- Tell us about a time you architected a backend system from early stage to large scale. What were the key scaling challenges you faced, and how did you address them?
- Describe your experience with Python and Go. Which do you prefer for different types of backend problems, and why?