Manager, Forward Deployed Engineering at OpenAI

Tokyo, Japan

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Not SpecifiedCompensation

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

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

AI, TechnologyIndustries

Requirements

Fully bilingual—fluent in both Japanese and English (spoken and written)
8+ years of engineering or technical delivery experience, including 2+ years managing high-performing FDE or customer-facing engineers
Have led high-pressure technical projects from prototype to production
Write and review production-grade code across frontend and backend using Javascript or Python
Based in Tokyo (hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week; relocation assistance offered; up to 25% travel, mainly local)

Responsibilities

Lead and grow a team of FDE delivering production systems with frontier models
Own end-to-end delivery outcomes through clarity, speed, tight coordination, and technical quality
Codify what works into tools, playbooks, and roadmap inputs that create leverage for both OpenAI and our wider developer community
Notice early indicators and raise them with urgency, whether in product behavior, customer environments, or delivery practices
Use judgement to distinguish what requires action and what does not
Set a high bar for FDE performance and support each person’s growth through direct, actionable feedback
Define how we staff and support field teams that can scale without added complexity
Partner closely with Product, Research, Sales, and GTM to ensure fieldwork informs roadmap priorities, drives new exploration, and supports safe deployment at scale

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

Team LeadershipCustomer DeploymentProduction SystemsFrontier ModelsTechnical CoordinationPlaybooksRoadmap InfluenceBilingual Japanese English

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

What is the location and work arrangement for this role?

This role is based in Tokyo with a hybrid work model requiring 3 days in the office per week. It offers relocation assistance to new employees and requires travel up to 25%, mainly local.

What language skills are required for this position?

You must be fully bilingual, fluent in both Japanese and English (spoken and written). Resumes must be submitted in English, and interviews will include conversations in both languages.

What experience is needed for this Manager role?

Candidates need 8+ years of engineering or technical delivery experience, including 2+ years managing high-performing FDE or customer-facing engineers, and experience leading high-pressure technical projects from prototype to production.

What technical skills are required?

You should write and review production-grade code across frontend and backend using Javascript or Python.

What does the Forward Deployed Engineering team do?

The team partners with customers to turn research breakthroughs into production systems, embeds deeply with users to solve high-leverage problems, moves quickly from prototype to deployment, and works closely with Product, Research, and Go-To-Market.

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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