Inference Engineer, Robotics

OpenAI; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Hybrid work model (3 days in office)

Job summary

Centaur Labs is seeking a GPU Inference Engineer to enhance model serving efficiency for Robotics research in San Francisco, CA. This high-impact role involves optimizing inference performance and collaborating with research teams on inference-friendly models.

Key responsibilities include driving performance optimizations and building critical serving infrastructure. Ideal candidates should possess strong background in model optimization and kernel-level systems, and be excited about deploying effective AI solutions.

Qualifications

• Deep expertise in model performance optimization, particularly at the inference layer.
• Strong background in kernel-level systems, data movement, and low-level performance tuning.
• Excitement about scaling high-performing AI systems that serve real-world, multimodal workloads.

Responsibilities

• Perform engineering efforts focused on improving model serving, inference performance, and system efficiency.
• Drive optimizations from a kernel and data movement perspective to improve system throughput and reliability.
• Partner closely with research and product teams to ensure our models perform effectively at scale.
• Design, build, and improve critical serving infrastructure to support Robotics growth and reliability needs.

Skills

Model performance optimization

Kernel-level systems

Low-level performance tuning

Data movement

Job description

About the Team

Our Robotics team is focused on unlocking general-purpose robotics and pushing towards AGI-level intelligence in dynamic, real-world settings. Working across the entire model stack, we integrate cutting-edge hardware and software to explore a broad range of robotic form factors. We strive to seamlessly blend high-level AI capabilities with the constraints of physical systems to improve peoples’ lives.

About the Role

We’re looking for a GPU Inference Engineer to contribute to improvements in model serving efficiency for our Robotics research. This is a high-impact role where you’ll drive initiatives to optimize inference performance and scalability. You’ll also be engaged in model design, to help assist our researchers in developing inference-friendly models.

This role is critical to scaling the team’s broader goals - it will directly enable leadership to focus on higher-leverage initiatives by building a stronger technical foundation.

In this role you will:

• Perform engineering efforts focused on improving model serving, inference performance, and system efficiency

• Drive optimizations from a kernel and data movement perspective to improve system throughput and reliability

• Partner closely with research and product teams to ensure our models perform effectively at scale

• Design, build, and improve critical serving infrastructure to support Robotics growth and reliability needs

You might thrive in this role if you:

• Have deep expertise in model performance optimization, particularly at the inference layer

• Have a strong background in kernel-level systems, data movement, and low-level performance tuning

• Are excited about scaling high-performing AI systems that serve real-world, multimodal workloads

• Can navigate ambiguity, set technical direction, and drive complex initiatives to completion

This role is based in San Francisco, CA. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees.

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.

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