Connectivity Software Engineer, Consumer Devices

OpenAI; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 292,500 - 357,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan with employer match

Flexible PTO and paid parental leave

Annual learning and development stipend

Daily meals in the office

Job summary

A prominent tech company in San Francisco is looking for a Connectivity Software Engineer to design and optimize wireless connectivity features. The ideal candidate will have deep experience working with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi standards, as well as proficiency in C/C++. You will contribute to robust device performance and debugging under real-world RF constraints, ensuring optimal operation across products in a hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

• Deep experience shipping wireless features on Linux-based products.
• Highly proficient in C/C++ with scripting experience.
• Knowledge of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi standards.

Responsibilities

• Design and debug Bluetooth/BLE and Wi-Fi features.
• Deliver robust pairing and provisioning flows.
• Optimize link performance and reliability.

Skills

Wireless features development

C/C++ programming

Systems debugging

Linux-based products experience

Bluetooth Classic/BLE knowledge

Wi-Fi standards knowledge

Tools

BlueZ

wpa_supplicant/hostapd

NetworkManager

gdb

Job description

Location

San Francisco

Employment Type

Full time

Location Type

Hybrid

Department

Consumer Products

Compensation

• $325K • Offers Equity

The base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience. If the role is non‑exempt, overtime pay will be provided consistent with applicable laws. In addition to the salary range listed above, total compensation also includes generous equity, performance‑related bonus(es) for eligible employees, and the following 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 (1 hour per 30 hours worked, or more, as required by applicable state or local law)
• Mental health and wellness support
• Employer‑paid basic life and disability coverage
• Annual learning and development stipend to fuel your professional growth
• Daily meals in our offices, and meal delivery credits as eligible
• Relocation support for eligible employees
• Additional taxable fringe benefits, such as charitable donation matching and wellness stipends, may also be provided.

More details about our benefits are available to candidates during the hiring process.

This role is at‑will and OpenAI reserves the right to modify base pay and other compensation components at any time based on individual performance, team or company results, or market conditions.

About the Team

Connectivity Software Engineering team is responsible for enabling seamless, secure, and high‑performance wireless connectivity across OpenAI’s products. We design and optimize Bluetooth, BLE, Wi‑Fi, and emerging wireless technologies to ensure robust device pairing, network performance, and interoperability. Our work spans kernel drivers, system services, and user‑level tools, with a focus on real‑world performance, scalability, and reliability.

About the Role

OpenAI is seeking a Connectivity Software Engineer to design, implement, and optimize wireless connectivity features across our product ecosystem. You’ll work at the intersection of systems software, wireless standards, and hardware integration—building robust pairing and provisioning flows, debugging low‑level protocols, and driving performance under real‑world RF constraints. You will also support certification, field interoperability, and fleet‑scale connectivity infrastructure.

This role is based in San Francisco, CA. We use a hybrid work model of 4 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees.

In this role, you will:

• Design, implement, and debug Bluetooth/BLE and Wi‑Fi features across kernel drivers, BlueZ/wpa_supplicant/hostapd, and systemd/D‑Bus services
• Deliver robust pairing, bonding, and provisioning flows (GATT/GAP, LE Audio/LC3, WPA3/802.1X, captive portals, NAN)
• Optimize link performance: throughput, latency, jitter, roaming, coexistence (BT↔Wi‑Fi), and power modes (TWT, WoWLAN)
• Build reliable network management using NetworkManager/nmcli, nl80211/cfg80211/mac80211, DNS/DHCP/mDNS, P2P/SoftAP
• Instrument and analyze with packet captures and tooling (btmon/hcidump, Wireshark, iperf, eBPF/perf, spectrum sniffers)
• Drive interoperability and certification readiness (Bluetooth SIG, Wi‑Fi Alliance) and resolve field issues with root‑cause fixes
• Contribute to OTA‑safe configuration, telemetry, and diagnostics for fleet‑scale operation

You might thrive in this role if you:

• Have deep experience shipping wireless features on Linux‑based products
• Are highly proficient in C/C++ with scripting experience (Python or shell) and systems debugging (gdb, strace, logs, packet traces)
• Possess deep knowledge of Bluetooth Classic/BLE (HCI, L2CAP, GATT/GAP, profiles) and Wi‑Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, WPA2/3, nl80211, NAN)
• Bring hands‑on experience with BlueZ, wpa_supplicant/hostapd, NetworkManager, and driver bring‑up on ARM64 or x86 platforms
• Have a proven track record of improving real‑world performance and reliability under RF constraints

Preferred qualifications

• Experience with LE Audio (LC3), BLE Mesh, advanced roaming (802.11k/v/r), QoS/WMM, multicast/IGMP
• Coexistence tuning across radios (BT/Wi‑Fi/UWB/mmWave) and antenna/RF fundamentals with test equipment workflows
• Familiarity with UWB (IEEE 802.15.4z, FiRa) ranging/integration; mmWave/Wi‑Gig (802.11ad/ay)
• Experience with security and provisioning at scale (EAP‑TLS, device identity, secure boot, disk/network hardening)
• Background in building factory test, interoperability, and certification test plans; upstream/open‑source contributions

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.

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.

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

Compensation Range: $325K