Strategic Economic Development Lead

OpenAI; United States; On-site; USD 176,000 - 285,000; Full time

Job summary

OpenAI is seeking an Economic Development Lead to work upstream across the national pipeline, shaping incentive strategies and community-benefit commitments for sites under evaluation.

You will coordinate with Site Selection, Land, Power, Legal, Finance, and Community Engagement, identify risk early, and ensure a smooth transition of relationships to the Community Engagement Lead as projects move toward announcement.

Qualifications

• 6+ years in economic development, public-private partnerships, infrastructure development, government affairs, or a related field.
• Experience structuring and negotiating incentive packages for large infrastructure, energy, technology, or real estate projects.
• Strong relationships and judgment across local, state, and regional economic-development stakeholders.
• Ability to connect incentives, community benefits, legal commitments, project economics, and approval risk.
• Excellent cross-functional coordination, negotiation, and executive-communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Own incentive strategy and negotiations.
• Build local and state economic-development relationships.
• Develop community-benefit commitments tied to project agreements.
• Coordinate with Site Selection, Land, Power, Legal, Finance, and Community Engagement.
• Identify political, commercial, and approval risks early.
• Transition local relationships and commitments to the assigned Community Engagement Lead as a project moves toward announcement.

Skills

Economic development

Public-private partnerships

Infrastructure development

Government affairs

Relationship building

Negotiation

Cross-functional coordination

Executive communication

Job description

OpenAI is seeking an Economic Development Lead to work upstream across the national pipeline, shaping incentive strategies and community-benefit commitments for sites under evaluation.

You will coordinate with Site Selection, Land, Power, Legal, Finance, and Community Engagement, identify risk early, and ensure a smooth transition of relationships to the Community Engagement Lead as projects move toward announcement.