[Remote] AI Deployment Engineering Manager, Startups

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. They are seeking an AI Deployment Engineering Manager to lead and scale the Startups AI Deployment Engineering team, helping high-growth startups move from experimentation to production and build durable technical partnerships with OpenAI.ResponsibilitiesCraft and continuously refine the strategic vision and operating model for the Startups AI Deployment Engineering team, aligning it with OpenAI’s broader company objectives and the evolving needs of high-growth startup customersLead, mentor, and grow a team of high-performing technical ICs supporting startup customers across AI-native, developer-led, and product-led companiesHelp startups move from early experimentation to production usage by identifying technical blockers, advising on architecture, and driving practical paths to deploymentPartner closely with Sales to determine where technical engagement can accelerate adoption, production usage, and long-term account growthRepresent the technical voice of startup customers by synthesizing high-signal feedback, especially around developer experience, product gaps, deployment blockers, model performance, and emerging use casesTranslate recurring startup needs into repeatable playbooks, starter packs, reference architectures, internal tooling, and customer-facing assets that help the broader team move fasterServe as a senior technical escalation point for priority startup customers, including founder-, CTO-, and technical executive-level conversationsBalance urgent customer needs with OpenAI’s broader product and platform priorities, especially when startups request niche features, bespoke support, or accelerated roadmap changesCoach AI Deployment Engineers on technical quality, customer judgment, prioritization, executive communication, and cross-functional partnershipPartner across Sales, Product, Engineering, Research, and other GTM teams to improve how OpenAI supports startups from early adoption through scaled production usageSkillsProven experience founding, scaling, or operating within early-stage startups, ideally in technical leadership roles where you owned both product or customer outcomes and technical executionStrong track record of building and leading technical, customer-facing teams in high-growth, ambiguous, or startup-heavy environmentsStrong technical depth across APIs, platform products, AI/ML systems, developer workflows, and production deployment considerationsExperience creating scalable operating models, not just managing one-off customer escalationsComfortable working directly with founders, CTOs, technical executives, and highly technical ICsStrong judgment about when to go deep for a strategic customer versus when to build repeatable mechanisms for the broader segmentAbility to translate complex technical and product considerations into clear decisions, practical guidance, and customer-facing recommendationsOperate with speed, iteration, and pragmatic customer impact without sacrificing quality, safety, or OpenAI's long-term platform strategyPersonal commitment to fostering the safe and beneficial development of AICompany OverviewOpenAI is an AI research and deployment company that develops advanced AI models, including ChatGPT. It is a sub-organization of OpenAI Foundation. It was founded in 2015, and is headquartered in San Francisco, California, USA, with a workforce of 1001-5000 employees. Its website is https://www.openai.com.Company H1B SponsorshipOpenAI has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships, with 57 in 2026, 103 in 2025, 74 in 2024, 15 in 2023, 18 in 2022, 10 in 2021, 6 in 2020. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role.