Research Engineer, Privacy at OpenAI

San Francisco, California, United States

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$380,000 – $460,000Compensation

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

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

Artificial Intelligence, TechnologyIndustries

Requirements

Hands-on research or production experience with Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs)
Fluency in modern deep-learning stacks (PyTorch/JAX) and ability to turn cutting-edge papers into reliable, well-tested code
Experience stress-testing models for private data leakage and explaining complex attack vectors to non-experts
Track record of publishing (or implementing) novel privacy or security work, bridging academia and real-world systems
Ability to thrive in fast-moving, cross-disciplinary environments, alternating between open-ended research and shipping production features under tight deadlines
Strong communication skills, rigorous documentation, and deep care for building AI systems that respect user privacy while advancing capabilities

Responsibilities

Design and prototype privacy-preserving machine-learning algorithms (e.g., differential privacy, secure aggregation, federated learning) deployable at OpenAI scale
Measure and strengthen model robustness against privacy attacks such as membership inference, model inversion, and data memorization leaks—balancing utility with provable guarantees
Develop internal libraries, evaluation suites, and documentation to make cutting-edge privacy techniques accessible to engineering and research teams
Lead deep-dive investigations into privacy–performance trade-offs of large models, publishing insights to inform model-training and product-safety decisions
Define and codify privacy standards, threat models, and audit procedures guiding the ML lifecycle from dataset curation to post-deployment monitoring
Collaborate across Security, Policy, Product, and Legal to translate regulatory requirements into technical safeguards and tooling

Skills

differential privacy

federated learning

secure aggregation

membership inference

model inversion

data memorization

data anonymization

machine learning

privacy-preserving algorithms

model robustness

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