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Systems Software Engineer, Silicon Bringup

openai

Híbrido San Francisco
Development

Job Score

90 pts
Hybrid model (+80) Development (+10)

About the Team

OpenAI’s Hardware organization develops AI-native silicon and system-level solutions for the unique demands of advanced AI workloads. Building on efforts like Jalapeño, the team is developing future generations of AI-native silicon and tightly integrated systems to power the next generation of frontier models. By co-designing chips, systems, tools, and methodologies, the team helps deliver faster, more efficient, and production-ready hardware for OpenAI’s supercomputing platform.

About the Role

You will work on the systems software strategy and execution that brings new AI silicon from first power-on to a fully integrated system running production-representative models at expected functionality and performance. You will define how software exercises and validates compute, memory, interconnect, and I/O subsystems, then build the diagnostics, automation, and observability needed to find issues quickly.

This role sits at the center of silicon, firmware, platform, systems, and workload teams. You will turn hardware specifications and performance targets into an end-to-end bringup plan, drive cross-functional debug, and establish the stress and regression infrastructure that makes each new platform reliable across operating environments.

In this role, you will:

  • Contribute to the end-to-end software bringup and validation strategy for new silicon and first-party systems.

  • Define software-driven test coverage across compute, memory, interconnect, I/O, and their system-level interactions.

  • Build diagnostics, test automation, telemetry, and regression infrastructure that accelerate first-silicon learning and issue isolation.

  • Lead bringup from initial silicon arrival through board and system integration, docking, runtime enablement, and model execution.

  • Design stress tests that characterize reliability, performance, and stability across workloads and operating conditions.

  • Translate architecture specifications and performance models into measurable acceptance criteria, coverage goals, and pass/fail signals.

  • Debug complex hardware-software failures, drive root-cause analysis, and coordinate fixes across silicon, firmware, electrical, platform, and workload teams.

  • Validate that integrated systems deliver expected functionality and model performance, and turn bringup learnings into reusable infrastructure for future generations.

You might thrive in this role if you:

  • Have strong systems programming experience in C, C++, Rust, Python, or comparable low-level environments.

  • Have brought up or validated complex silicon, accelerators, servers, or other hardware-software systems.

  • Understand computer architecture and the behavior of compute, memory, interconnect, and I/O subsystems.

  • Are skilled at low-level debugging across firmware, drivers, operating systems, and hardware interfaces.

  • Can create a rigorous test strategy, reason about coverage gaps, and build scalable automation and observability.

  • Have experience with performance characterization, stress testing, reliability testing, or production readiness.

  • Communicate clearly across disciplines and can drive ambiguous, high-stakes technical work from plan through closure.

  • Care deeply about building durable tools and processes that make subsequent bringup cycles faster and more predictable.

To comply with U.S. export control laws and regulations, candidates for this role may need to meet certain legal status requirements as provided in those laws and regulations.

About OpenAI

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We push the boundaries of the capabilities of AI systems and seek to safely deploy them to the world through our products. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core, and to achieve our mission, we must encompass and value the many different perspectives, voices, and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity. 

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic.

For additional information, please see OpenAI’s Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement.

Background checks for applicants will be administered in accordance with applicable law, and qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment consistent with those laws, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, for US-based candidates. For unincorporated Los Angeles County workers: we reasonably believe that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship with the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: protect computer hardware entrusted to you from theft, loss or damage; return all computer hardware in your possession (including the data contained therein) upon termination of employment or end of assignment; and maintain the confidentiality of proprietary, confidential, and non-public information. In addition, job duties require access to secure and protected information technology systems and related data security obligations.

To notify OpenAI that you believe this job posting is non-compliant, please submit a report through this form. No response will be provided to inquiries unrelated to job posting compliance.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made via this link.

OpenAI Global Applicant Privacy Policy

At OpenAI, we believe artificial intelligence has the potential to help people solve immense global challenges, and we want the upside of AI to be widely shared. Join us in shaping the future of technology.

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About Software Development

Software Development is one of the most dynamic and constantly evolving fields in the job market. Professionals in this area are responsible for creating, maintaining, and optimizing web, mobile, and desktop applications that impact millions of users daily.

Key languages and frameworks include JavaScript (React, Node.js, Vue.js), Python (Django, Flask), Java (Spring), PHP (Laravel), and TypeScript. Demand for full-stack developers continues to grow, especially in tech companies and startups.

Salaries range from entry-level to senior positions, with growing opportunities for remote work and international freelancing.

Discover Other Areas

Understand the scope of work, key skills, and tools used in different career areas.

About Business Analysis

The Business Analyst (BA) is the professional responsible for identifying problems, opportunities, and solutions in organizational processes, acting as a bridge between business areas and the technology development team. They gather and specify requirements, map value streams, design future processes, and help ensure that software deliveries align with the company's strategic goals.

About IT Governance

IT Governance is the area responsible for ensuring that information technology resources are used strategically, efficiently, and in compliance with standards and regulations. IT governance professionals ensure that technology supports business objectives in a secure and reliable manner.

Key skills include IT service management (ITIL), IT audit and compliance, risk management, business continuity, disaster recovery, metrics and indicators (SLAs, KPIs), and strategic alignment between IT and business. Frameworks like COBIT, ITIL, ISO 27001, and compliance standards are essential.

IT Governance professionals in technology companies are highly valued, especially those who master ITSM, IT audit, and risk management. The field offers opportunities from governance analyst to CIO/CTO, with a focus on efficiency, compliance, security, and business value.

About Web Designer

The Web Designer is the professional responsible for creating visual interfaces for websites, web applications, and landing pages, combining aesthetics, usability, and user experience. They transform business needs into functional and responsive layouts that communicate brand identity.

Key skills include UI design, responsive design, prototyping (Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD), wireframing, design systems, accessibility (WCAG), information architecture, and basic HTML/CSS knowledge. Knowledge of UX design, motion design, and front-end is a differentiator.

Web Designers in technology companies are highly valued, especially those who master design systems, design tokens, and can create interfaces that convert and engage. The field offers opportunities from junior web designer to product designer and design lead.

About Mobile Development

Mobile Development is one of the most dynamic and constantly evolving fields in the technology market. With billions of smartphones worldwide, the demand for qualified mobile developers continues to grow exponentially.

Key stacks include Flutter (Dart), React Native (JavaScript/TypeScript), Kotlin (Android native), Swift (iOS native), and hybrid frameworks like Ionic and Capacitor. Knowledge of mobile architecture (MVVM, Clean Architecture), mobile CI/CD (Fastlane, Bitrise, Codemagic), and App Store/Google Play publishing are essential.

Senior mobile developers are highly valued professionals, with competitive salaries and many remote work opportunities at international companies. Specializing in cross-platform or native is a strategic career decision.

About Customer Service

The Customer Service / Client Relations area is essential for ensuring customer satisfaction, retention, and a good relationship. Professionals in this field are the primary interface for communication, handling inquiries, requests, feedback, and ensuring a high-quality day-to-day experience. Skills in communication, problem-solving, empathy, and patience are indispensable.

Career Guides

Technology Career Guide

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Design Career Guide

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Marketing Career Guide

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Finance Career Guide

Financial market, investments, corporate finance, certifications, and strategies to grow in the financial field.

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Communication Career Guide

Journalism, PR, Corporate Communication, Content Marketing, and Multimedia Production.

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Administration Career Guide

Business Management, HR, Logistics, Consulting, Project Management, and Entrepreneurship.

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Data Career Guide

Data Science, Data Engineering, BI, Machine Learning, and AI. From training to the job market.

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Product Career Guide

Product Management, Product Ownership, Agile, Scrum, and OKRs. From strategy to execution.

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Tech & Remote Glossary

Stop getting lost in interviews and job descriptions

The job market, especially within tech and global companies, has developed its own dialect. Not understanding these acronyms can make you lose valuable opportunities or poorly negotiate your contract. To end this problem, we created the Definitive Glossary for the Remote Professional.

🏢 Work Models & Routine

Async (Asynchronous Work)
A communication model where responses don't need to be immediate. Instead of back-to-back meetings, the team relies on well-structured documents, threads, and messages. It's the gold standard for global companies spanning multiple time zones.
Sync (Synchronous Work)
The opposite of Async. It requires the team to be online and available at the same time for meetings, live chats, and real-time collaboration.
Daily / Stand-up
A quick daily meeting (usually 15 minutes) common in Agile (Scrum) methodologies. The team answers three questions: What did I do yesterday? What will I do today? Are there any blockers?
All-Hands / Town Hall
A company-wide meeting involving all employees. Usually led by the founders (C-Levels) to present results, new goals, and answer team questions.
1:1 (One-on-One)
A recurring individual meeting between a professional and their direct manager. It is used for career alignment, feedback, and problem-solving, not just for project status updates.

💰 Contracts, Benefits & Compensation

PTO (Paid Time Off)
Instead of strict, categorized leave policies, modern US companies usually offer a flexible pool of days (e.g., 20 days of PTO, or even "Unlimited PTO") that you can use for vacations, sick days, or personal matters, while receiving your regular compensation.
Equity / Stock Options
Company ownership. The startup offers you the right to buy shares at a heavily discounted strike price in the future. If the company grows, goes public, or is acquired, these shares can be highly lucrative.
Vesting (Vesting Schedule)
The rule that controls your Equity. It usually lasts 4 years. You don't get all the shares on day one; you "earn" them gradually as you stay with the company. A "1-year Cliff" means you must stay for at least one year to receive your first batch of shares.
RSUs (Restricted Stock Units)
Unlike Stock Options (where you have the right to buy the stock), RSUs are actual shares the company grants you as a bonus or part of your compensation package, following a strict Vesting schedule.
Independent Contractor (1099 / B2B)
The most common international hiring model for global talent working for US companies. You act as a service provider (business-to-business), receiving the gross salary (often six-figure compensation) without standard local payroll tax deductions at the source.

🤖 Recruitment & Hiring Process

ATS (Applicant Tracking System)
The "robot" that reads your resume. Software like Greenhouse, Ashby, and Workday are used to filter candidates by keywords before a human even looks at the document. (Pro tip: this is why your resume must be clean, semantic, and have the right keywords).
JD (Job Description)
The document that lists the responsibilities, technical requirements, and benefits of the open position.
Cultural Fit
The interview stage that evaluates if your core values, communication style, and worldview align with the company's culture. This is the ultimate test of your Soft Skills.
Onboarding
The integration process. It's the period of your first few weeks at the company, where you get your access credentials, learn about the culture, study the internal documentation, and understand how the product works.

🚀 How to use this to your advantage?

The secret isn't just knowing what these acronyms mean, but using them actively. If during an interview for a premium tech role you ask, "How does your PTO policy and Vesting schedule work?", the recruiter will immediately perceive you as a high-level professional, familiar with the global market standards.

The remote job market requires preparation. And having the right vocabulary is the first big step to securing six-figure proposals and standing out among thousands of applicants.

Expert Tip

The Evolution of Support and Customer Success

The Evolution of Support and Customer Success: Opportunities, Tools, and the New Professional Profile

Discover how customer service evolved from a cost center into the ultimate growth and retention engine for the world's leading tech and SaaS companies.

The Current Landscape: From Cost Center to Revenue Engine

Historically, customer support was viewed by companies merely as a reactive department, focused on troubleshooting technical issues and closing tickets. However, with the consolidation of the SaaS (Software as a Service) business model and the subscription economy, the game has drastically changed.

Today, Customer Experience (CX) and Customer Success (CS) are the pillars of a company's financial sustainability. The logic is simple: in a highly competitive market, the Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is incredibly high. Losing a customer (Churn) means bleeding money. The modern support professional is, in reality, a strategist focused on retention, account expansion (Upsell/Cross-sell), and ensuring that the client achieves their desired outcomes using the product.

"Acquiring a new customer is anywhere from five to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one." — Harvard Business Review

Customer Support vs. Customer Success: Understanding the Difference

Although both areas walk hand-in-hand, their roles and success metrics in the job market are distinct. Understanding this difference is crucial for anyone looking to enter or advance in this career:

  • Customer Support: Predominantly reactive and transactional. The focus is on the speed and efficiency of issue resolution. Common metrics include First Response Time (FRT), Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR), and Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT).
  • Customer Success: A proactive and long-term function. The goal is to ensure the customer extracts maximum value from the product. CS professionals analyze the Health Score, conduct Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), and directly target Net Retention Revenue (NRR) while combating Churn.

Market Opportunities and Global Remote Work

The global market for B2B Support and CS professionals is hotter than ever. Startups and major international corporations are massively hiring talent worldwide to provide 24/7 coverage across different time zones.

Opportunities range from entry-level roles, such as Customer Support Representative (CSR), to high-level executive positions like Key Account Manager, Implementation Specialist, Customer Success Manager (CSM), and Head of CX. For professionals with native or fluent English, "Global Remote" and "US Remote" positions offer highly competitive six-figure compensation packages, equity, and aggressive benefits.

Tech Stack: The Tools You Must Master

To pass through the rigorous ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems, like Greenhouse or Ashby) used by top-tier tech companies, your resume must showcase familiarity with the platforms that orchestrate the customer journey. The most demanded tools include:

  • Zendesk and Intercom: The global leaders in ticket management, asynchronous chat, and omnichannel support automation.
  • Salesforce and HubSpot: Essential CRMs (Customer Relationship Management) to maintain data history and alignment between Sales and Support teams.
  • Jira and Confluence: Atlassian tools crucial for escalating frontline bugs directly to the Engineering and Product teams.
  • Gainsight and Totango: Enterprise-grade platforms specifically built for Customer Success, used to monitor portfolio health predictively.

The Profile of the Modern CX Professional

The stereotype of the agent reading from a rigid script is a thing of the past. Tech recruiters are looking for a profile that blends emotional intelligence with analytical (data-driven) capabilities. The most valued competencies today are:

  1. Empathy and Resilience: The ability to de-escalate frustrated clients and turn crises into loyalty-building opportunities.
  2. Flawless Asynchronous Communication: Especially in remote work environments, clarity in writing emails, documentation, and chat threads is non-negotiable.
  3. Data Literacy: Knowing how to read dashboards, spot where users are getting stuck in the product, and suggest improvements based on hard data.
  4. Product Vision: Modern support acts as the primary feedback loop between the end-user and the Engineering and UX Design teams.