Backend Engineer - Distributed Systems & Secure APIs

OpenAI; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

OpenAI is seeking a Backend Software Engineer in San Francisco, California, to design and implement services that power core products like ChatGPT. The ideal candidate has strong experience with distributed systems and backend technologies such as Go, Python, and Rust. Responsibilities include building resilient backend systems, improving performance, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. This role fosters innovation and requires a humble attitude to support team success while handling complex and scalable solutions.

Qualifications

• Strong experience with distributed systems, APIs, and backend languages (Go, Python, Rust, C++).
• Experience setting up and maintaining production backend services and data pipelines.
• Humble attitude and eagerness to help colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Architect, build, and improve scalable backend systems and APIs.
• Drive performance, reliability, and safety across distributed services.
• Implement data storage, retrieval, compute, and integration solutions.
• Participate in long‑term architectural planning and technical design reviews.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to design solutions.

Skills

Experience with distributed systems

API development

Backend languages (e.g., Go, Python, Rust, C++)

Job description

OpenAI is seeking a Backend Software Engineer in San Francisco, California, to design and implement services that power core products like ChatGPT. The ideal candidate has strong experience with distributed systems and backend technologies such as Go, Python, and Rust. Responsibilities include building resilient backend systems, improving performance, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. This role fosters innovation and requires a humble attitude to support team success while handling complex and scalable solutions.