Software Engineer - Privacy & Compliance

About this role

OpenAI seeks an experienced Software Engineer to design and operate backend systems that enforce data privacy and automate compliance at scale. You'll architect privacy-by-design solutions, develop distributed authorization mechanisms, and collaborate across security, legal, and product teams to protect user data while enabling innovation.

What you'll do

• Design and build backend services enforcing policy-driven data access, lifecycle controls, and privacy protections
• Develop distributed authorization and identity-aware enforcement integrated into data services
• Implement auditability and observability mechanisms for continuous compliance verification
• Partner with Security, Legal, and Compliance teams to translate requirements into scalable technical designs
• Harden data platforms through schema-level controls and data handling constraints
• Create patterns, libraries, and educational materials to promote trustworthy data access practices organization-wide

What they're looking for

• Backend or infrastructure systems development and operations (5+ years)
• Fluency in Python, Go, Rust, C++, Java, or similar languages
• Distributed authorization, RBAC/ACL, encryption-based access, or policy engines
• Knowledge of global privacy regulations and architectural implications
• Cross-functional collaboration with legal, compliance, and product teams
• Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Security or privacy engineering background
• Data governance or metadata-driven enforcement systems