← All roles

Software Engineer, Compute Foundations Systems

OpenAI· Scaling
Apply on company site
San Francisco$230k - $490kFull-timePosted 11mo ago

About the role

Systems software engineer role focused on building, qualifying, and maintaining the Linux host software stack and OS-images for OpenAI's frontier compute fleet, enabling reliable large GPU clusters and frontier model training.

Responsibilities

  • Build and maintain the Linux host software stack for large GPU clusters, including Ubuntu and OS images, kernel configuration and modules, drivers, packages, disks and storage configuration, and machine configuration.
  • Design reproducible OS-image builds, package and repository workflows, and system configuration for heterogeneous bare-metal and cloud compute fleets.
  • Integrate, test, and qualify kernels, modules, drivers, packages, and firmware across new and existing hardware platforms; build safe canary, rollback, and recovery paths for system changes.
  • Bring up new hardware platforms and compute SKUs, working with hardware engineers and vendors to resolve firmware, driver, operating-system, and compatibility issues.
  • Debug complex system failures across boot and provisioning, firmware, disks, kernels and drivers, and workload interactions; turn recurring failure modes into durable fixes, tests, and automation.
  • Improve provisioning, repave, maintenance, and recovery correctness by eliminating manual host-by-host intervention and making system behavior predictable at fleet scale.
  • Build focused systems tooling and diagnostics that make the host software stack easier to validate, troubleshoot, and operate across the installed fleet.

Qualifications

  • Significant experience building, integrating, or operating production Linux systems, particularly Ubuntu, Debian, or another major Linux distribution.
  • Deep experience in one or more of: Linux kernels, modules, or device drivers; Linux distribution, package, repository, or OS-image engineering; boot, provisioning, disks, or machine configuration; firmware and driver integration, qualification, or rollout.
  • Ability to write, debug, and maintain production-quality systems software and automation using appropriate systems languages, scripting, and Linux tooling.
  • Understanding of how to build, test, package, qualify, and safely deliver system-level changes, including compatibility testing, staged rollout, rollback, and recovery.
  • Ability to systematically debug failures that cross hardware, firmware, boot, operating-system, kernel, and driver boundaries, and collaborate with hardware and software partners.
  • Interest in investigating difficult system behavior and building pragmatic fixes for reliability.

Skills

Required:Linux systems engineeringKernel, modules, or device driversOS-image engineering / distribution / package managementBoot, provisioning, disks, machine configurationFirmware and driver integration, qualification, or rolloutSystem debugging across hardware/firmware/kernel/driver

Benefits

  • 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
  • Mental health and wellness support
  • Employer-paid basic life and disability coverage
  • Annual learning and development stipend
  • Daily meals in offices and meal delivery credits
  • Relocation support for eligible employees
  • Additional taxable fringe benefits, such as charitable donation matching and wellness stipends
Last updated Jul 23, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About OpenAI

ai-infrastructure-and-developmentliquid-ai-recruiting-targetllmsetter-30setter-30-2026-q1speech-to-texttext-to-speechvoice-ai-stack
Company profileWebsite

More open roles at OpenAI