Strategic Sourcing & Partnerships - Software Tools & Licenses at OpenAI

San Francisco, California, United States

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$230,000 – $355,000Compensation

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

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

Artificial Intelligence, Semiconductors, HardwareIndustries

Requirements

8+ years in EDA/IP licensing/strategic sourcing, and supplier base strategy roles
Deep familiarity with vendors in EDA, IP, design services, and emulation
Strong commercial negotiation skills with a proven track record of securing favorable terms and managing complex contracts

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end supplier and licensing strategy for EDA, IP, and large rack systems supporting OpenAI’s ASIC and infrastructure programs
Act as the single intake point for all license requests and partner engagements, maintaining inventory, rights management, and reuse policies across OpenAI
Own supplier selection, evaluation, pricing, contracting, renewals, and performance management across current and future partners
Rationalize licensing across organizations to maximize efficiency and eliminate duplicate spend, influencing engineering to support strategic consolidation efforts
Drive commercial structures and contracts for IP blocks, design services, verification, foundry/OSAT engagements, and NPI ramp support—ensuring shortened contract cycles and timely resource and capacity commitments
Lead emulator negotiations, capacity planning, and usage agreements; develop escalation paths to meet critical engineering needs
Build durable executive relationships with vendors, run QBRs, negotiate early-access programs, and align on joint roadmaps to provide visibility into OpenAI’s evolving supplier needs
Translate engineering requirements into sourcing specifications, terms, and license structures; manage vendor escalations and hold suppliers accountable for commitments
Partner closely with engineering, legal, and finance to balance trade-offs, serve as the single point of contact for Research/Scaling and other orgs, and ensure engagements are strategic rather than transactional to maximize OpenAI’s long-term leverage
Provide clear dashboards and reporting on spend, utilization, capacity, and risk
Potential expansion to include ASICs, custom silicon

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

EDAIP LicensingASICVendor ManagementContract NegotiationSupplier SourcingSilicon DesignEmulationStrategic PartnershipsRack Systems

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

What is the salary range for this position?

The salary range is $230K - $355K.

Is this a remote role or does it require office presence?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What key skills and experience are required for this role?

The role requires experience in EDA/IP licensing strategy, ASIC partner management, supplier selection, contract negotiations, vendor management, and cross-functional leadership in hardware ecosystems.

What is the team like at OpenAI's Hardware organization?

OpenAI’s Hardware organization develops silicon and system-level solutions for advanced AI workloads, building AI-native silicon while collaborating closely with software and research partners to co-design integrated hardware for AI models.

What makes a strong candidate for this Strategic Sourcing & Partnerships role?

Strong candidates have experience leading end-to-end supplier strategy for EDA, IP, and systems in ASIC programs, owning contract negotiations, vendor management, and cross-functional influence to optimize licensing and secure capacity.

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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