Head of Trade Compliance & Operations at OpenAI

San Francisco, California, United States

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Not SpecifiedCompensation

Senior (5 to 8 years), Expert & Leadership (9+ years)Experience Level

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

Technology, AIIndustries

Requirements

12+ years of experience in customs, COO determinations, substantial transformation, HTS classification, and import compliance
JD or trade counsel background (highly preferred)
Experience building global trade programs in high-growth or hardware environments (0 to 1 experience is a bonus)
Deep knowledge of HTS classification, customs valuation rules, export-control law, and preferential trade agreements
Track record of managing customs and export compliance interactions and disputes
Hands-on experience implementing or managing trade compliance software and ERP modules (e.g., SAP GTS, Descartes, Amber Road/E2Open, OCR)
Experience thriving in ambiguity, building from 0 to 1, and driving automation over manual processes
Strong communication skills and the ability to influence senior partners in operations, legal, engineering, and policy

Responsibilities

Advise on global trade strategy across country-of-origin (COO) planning, tariff exposure, and global supply chain structure for compute and R&D initiatives
Review supplier contracts with a focus on tariff, duty, and trade compliance provisions
Ensure customs valuation is aligned with transfer pricing frameworks
Select, configure, and manage global trade compliance software and ERP integrated trade modules to ensure systemic classification/COO/valuation logic
Establish data integrity, automation, and reporting frameworks for import/export records and classification data
Lead customs and import operations, including HTS classification, customs broker management, clearance operations, customs inquiries/disputes, and audit readiness
Build our export compliance program, policies, and procedures, including classification, licensing, recordkeeping, investigations, and enforcement responses
Develop global internal controls, risk monitoring, and audit frameworks that scale with the business
Partner with Hardware Engineering, Supply Chain, Logistics, Tax, and Legal to embed trade considerations in manufacturing and sourcing choices
Build and lead a high-performing trade compliance and import operations team that scales with OpenAI’s growth

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

Trade ComplianceCustoms ValuationHTS ClassificationExport ControlsTariff ManagementSupply ChainERP IntegrationTrade SoftwareCOO PlanningCustoms Broker ManagementAudit ReadinessTransfer Pricing

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

What is the salary for the Head of Trade Compliance & Operations role?

The salary is $400K.

Is this role remote or hybrid, and where is it based?

This is a hybrid role based in San Francisco, CA, requiring 3 days in the office per week. OpenAI offers relocation assistance to new employees.

What key skills and experience are required for this position?

Candidates need 12+ years of experience in customs, COO determinations, substantial transformation, HTS classification, and import compliance. A JD or trade counsel background is highly preferred, along with experience building global trade programs in high-growth or hardware environments and deep knowledge of HTS classification, customs valuation rules, export-control law, and preferential trade agreements.

What is the team structure like for this role?

You will build and lead a high-performing trade compliance and import operations team that scales with OpenAI’s growth. The role involves partnering closely with Legal, Hardware, Supply Chain, Finance, Tax, and Policy teams.

What makes a strong candidate for this Head of Trade Compliance & Operations role?

Strong candidates have 12+ years in customs and import compliance, a JD or trade counsel background, experience building global trade programs in high-growth hardware environments, and deep expertise in HTS classification, customs valuation, and export controls.

OpenAI

Develops safe and beneficial AI technologies

About OpenAI

OpenAI develops and deploys artificial intelligence technologies aimed at benefiting humanity. The company creates advanced AI models capable of performing various tasks, such as automating processes and enhancing creativity. OpenAI's products, like Sora, allow users to generate videos from text descriptions, showcasing the versatility of its AI applications. Unlike many competitors, OpenAI operates under a capped profit model, which limits the profits it can make and ensures that excess earnings are redistributed to maximize the social benefits of AI. This commitment to safety and ethical considerations is central to its mission of ensuring that artificial general intelligence (AGI) serves all of humanity.

San Francisco, CaliforniaHeadquarters

2015Year Founded

$18,433.2MTotal Funding

LATE_VCCompany Stage

AI & Machine LearningIndustries

1,001-5,000Employees

Benefits

Health insurance

Dental and vision insurance

Flexible spending account for healthcare and dependent care

Mental healthcare service

Fertility treatment coverage

401(k) with generous matching

20-week paid parental leave

Life insurance (complimentary)

AD&D insurance (complimentary)

Short-term/long-term disability insurance (complimentary)

Optional buy-up life insurance

Flexible work hours and unlimited paid time off (we encourage 4+ weeks per year)

Annual learning & development stipend

Regular team happy hours and outings

Daily catered lunch and dinner

Travel to domestic conferences

Risks

Elon Musk's legal battle may pose financial and reputational challenges for OpenAI.

Customizable ChatGPT personas could lead to privacy and ethical concerns.

Competitors like Anthropic raising capital may intensify market competition.

Differentiation

OpenAI's capped profit model prioritizes ethical AI development over unlimited profit.

OpenAI's AI models, like Sora, offer unique video creation from text descriptions.

OpenAI's focus on AGI aims to create AI systems smarter than humans.

Upsides

OpenAI's $6.6 billion funding boosts its AI research and computational capacity.

Customizable ChatGPT personas enhance user engagement and satisfaction.

OpenAI's 'Operator' AI agent could revolutionize workforce automation by 2025.

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