Forward Deployed Engineer

About the role

The Forward Deployed Engineer operates at the critical junction where research transitions into real-world value, partnering directly with customers to translate frontier model capabilities into robust production systems. You will own the complete lifecycle of complex deployments, guiding solutions from initial discovery and technical scoping through system design, implementation, and stable production rollout. Success in this position is defined by measurable production adoption, tangible workflow impact, and eval-driven feedback that actively shapes product and model roadmaps. You will work hand-in-hand with diverse teams including Product, Research, Partnerships, GRC, Security, and GTM to ensure solutions are secure, scalable, and aligned with business goals. This role demands comfort with ambiguity and the ability to navigate fast-moving technical and organizational landscapes while maintaining clear ownership and delivery discipline. You will contribute directly in the code when progress or clarity depends on it, ensuring technical quality and feasibility. You will codify working patterns into tools, playbooks, and building blocks that become reusable assets for the broader organization. Most importantly, you will share field feedback that helps Research and Product understand where the models succeed, where they fall short, and how they can improve. The role is based in Sydney and uses a hybrid work model with three days in the office per week, supported by relocation assistance.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Own technical delivery across multiple deployments from first prototype to stable production.
• Build full-stack systems that deliver customer value and sharpen how we learn.
• Embed closely with customer teams, understand their needs, and guide adoption of what you build.
• Scope work, sequence delivery, and remove blockers early to keep momentum.
• Make trade-offs between scope, speed, and quality; adjust plans to protect delivery.
• Contribute directly in the code when progress or clarity depends on it.
• Codify working patterns into tools, playbooks, or building blocks that others can use.
• Share field feedback that helps Research and Product understand where the models succeed and where they can improve.
• Keep teams moving through clarity and follow-through, ensuring execution is transparent and predictable.
• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to align technical solutions with business objectives.
• Implement observability and monitoring to ensure deployed systems meet reliability standards.
• Iterate on solutions based on production telemetry and user feedback to drive continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Bring 5+ years of engineering or technical deployment experience that includes customer-facing work.
• Have scoped and delivered complex systems in fast-moving or ambiguous environments.
• Write and review production-grade code across frontend and backend using Python, JavaScript, or comparable stacks.
• Have built or deployed systems powered by LLMs or generative models and understand how model behaviour affects product experience.
• Simplify complexity and make fast, sound decisions under pressure.
• Communicate clearly with engineers, product teams, and customer stakeholders.
• Spot risks early and adjust without slowing down execution.
• Model calm and judgment when the stakes are high and uncertainty is present.
• Be comfortable working asynchronously and synchronously in a distributed, global team.
• Align with OpenAI's commitment to safety, security, and responsible deployment practices.

Practical notes

Travel up to 50% is required.

We offer relocation assistance.

OpenAI is an equal opportunity employer.

Background checks for applicants will be administered in accordance with applicable law.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment consistent with those laws.

For additional information, please see OpenAI's Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made via the provided internal process.

This role requires travel up to 50% and is based in Sydney, Australia, with a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week.