Security Engineer, Insider Threat Detection & Response

OpenAI; United States; Remote; USD 260,000 - 405,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Health Savings Account

401(k) match

Parental leave

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Mental health support

Life insurance

Disability coverage

Learning stipend

Meal credits/offices

Job summary

OpenAI Security is seeking a Security Engineer to join engineers and researchers in building, operating, and securing transformational AI tech. The role emphasizes detection and response with a focus on insider threats and safeguarding OpenAI’s sensitive assets.

You will work with cross-functional partners (HR, Legal) and collaborate on cutting-edge AI research to enhance security posture across the stack.

Qualifications

• 5+ years experience in a detection/response or insider-risk role (mid-level to senior).
• Broad familiarity with macOS, Windows, Linux, and Kubernetes, plus cloud infrastructure.
• Knowledge of modern adversary tactics, data exfiltration techniques, and incident leadership.
• Proficiency with a scripting language (Python, Bash, PowerShell, or similar).
• Ability to manage projects independently and balance preventative controls with user friction.

Responsibilities

• Innovate on Detection and Response infrastructure to engineer and automate end-to-end detection and investigation workflows.
• Develop, measure, and tune detection rules for effective operations.
• Drive projects across OpenAI’s tech stack focusing on insider threats and risk controls.
• Partner with HR, Legal, and investigative teams to provide technical evidence for investigations.
• Collaborate on AI research and use AI to improve security posture.

Skills

Insider risk IR

Cross-platform OS

Kubernetes & Cloud

Incident handling

Scripting (Python/Bash/PowerShell)

Threat modeling

Job description

About the Team

Security is at the foundation of OpenAI’s mission to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.

The Security team protects OpenAI’s technology, people, and products. We are technical in what we build but are operational in how we do our work, and are committed to supporting all products and research at OpenAI. Our Security team tenets include: prioritizing for impact, enabling researchers, preparing for future transformative technologies, and engaging a robust security culture.

About the Role

As a Security Engineer you will join our OpenAI engineers and researchers in building, operating and securing transformational AI technologies. This role will focus on all aspects of Detection & Response but with a strong emphasis on detecting insider threats and influencing controls to safeguard OpenAI’s most sensitive assets. In this role, you will:

In this role, you will:

• Innovate on Detection and Response infrastructure to engineer and automate end-to-end detection and investigation workflows.
• Develop, measure, and tune detection rules to ensure effective and sustainable operations.
• Drive projects across OpenAI’s technology stack with a focus on insider threats, ranging from access abuse and intellectual property theft to novel risks emerging within AI infrastructure.
• Partner closely with cross-functional stakeholders, including HR, Legal, and peer investigative teams, providing technical expertise and evidence to support investigations.
• Collaborate on cutting-edge AI research, and use AI to improve OpenAI’s Security posture.

You might thrive in this role if you:

• 5+ years experience working in a detection/response or insider-risk role.. We are seeking mid-level and senior candidates.
• You have broad familiarity with operating systems and platforms such as macOS, Windows, Linux, and Kubernetes, along with experience in cloud infrastructure.
• Knowledge of modern adversary tactics and attack paths, data exfiltration techniques, and have experience running and leading incidents.
• Proficiency with a scripting language (e.g. Python, Bash, PowerShell, or similar).
• Independently manage and run projects , balance preventative controls with user friction, and prioritize efforts for risk reduction.
• You’re motivated by securing transformative technology and can adapt familiar security frameworks to new risks in AI infrastructure

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.

OpenAI’s Affir… 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.

Compensation

$260K - $405K Offers Equity Multiple Ranges

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.