[Remote] Principal Software Engineer, Infrastructure Security

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 a Principal Software Engineer to join the Infrastructure Security team, responsible for safeguarding core research and production environments and driving the execution of critical foundational security services.ResponsibilitiesOwn the architecture and roadmap for one or more core security services (e.g., authN/Z, policy enforcement, secure proxies, key management), taking them from design to rollout to long-term operationDesign and implement planet-scale security systems that provide strong guarantees across hardware, operating systems, Kubernetes, networks, and CI/CD: balancing security, reliability, latency, and developer ergonomicsLead cross-functional launches with infrastructure and research engineering teams, shaping interfaces, migration plans, and safe rollout strategies across large fleets and critical workflowsBuild or evolve security primitives (identity, attestation, authorization, encryption key lifecycle, access mediation) that become platform building blocks for OpenAILeverage frontier models and agents to develop automation and detection tooling to continuously identify and mitigate risks in large-scale cloud and on-prem environmentsLead design reviews and threat models for major initiatives, and drive closure on systemic issuesMentor engineers across InfraSec and partner teams, raising the bar on engineering quality, operational readiness, and secure-by-default practicesSkillsStrong software engineering skills with a track record of shipping and operating reliable distributed systems in productionExperience building or operating critical infrastructure, especially security infrastructure, at planet scale (e.g., auth services, service-to-service proxies, certificate or key-management systems)Deep understanding of security principles, best practices, and common vulnerabilitiesDemonstrated ability to lead cross-team technical initiatives: setting direction, aligning stakeholders, driving execution, and delivering measurable outcomesExpertise and curiosity about using frontier models and agents to effectively solve security challengesExpertise in securing large-scale cloud platforms (e.g., Azure, AWS, GCP), including multi-cloud networks and cloud-agnostic system designA proactive mindset, with the ability to identify and address security gaps or inefficiencies through automation and toolingStrong analytical and problem-solving skills, with an ability to think critically and objectively assess risksExcellent communication skills, with the ability to convey complex security concepts to executive, technical, and non-technical stakeholdersCompany 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.