Hybrid Data Center Security Engineer

at OpenAI

• Job title: Data Center Security Engineer
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Senior, Lead
• Salary: $234,400 - $385,000 per year
• Degree requirement: Bachelor's Degree
• Location requirements: Hybrid, San Francisco, United States

About the role

• Data Center Security Engineer focusing on securing infrastructure for AI systems. Collaborating with teams on OT and IT security architecture and incident response.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement security controls that protect data center infrastructure across a growing global footprint, with particular focus on both OT and IT networking environments.
• Partner closely with a small team of data center security specialists, as well as engineering, operations, and broader security teams, to deliver resilient and practical security outcomes.
• Secure OT and IT networking environments through strong segmentation, access control, monitoring, hardening, and connectivity patterns suited to critical infrastructure.
• Contribute to security architecture and design reviews for data center systems, including OT and IT networking, network segmentation, identity and access management, provisioning workflows, hardware and firmware trust boundaries, and operational safeguards.
• Perform recurring audits, control assessments, and validation activities across OT and IT networking environments to ensure continued compliance against defined controls.
• Drive ongoing evidence collection, gap tracking, and remediation follow-through so control deficiencies are identified quickly and closed durably.
• Help define measurable security standards, control objectives, audit procedures, evidence requirements, and validation mechanisms for infrastructure and facility security programs.
• Support security monitoring, incident response, and post-incident improvement efforts for data center, OT, and IT networking environments.
• Work with suppliers, partners, and internal stakeholders to evaluate and reduce risks associated with third-party hardware, firmware, software, and operational dependencies.
• Continually evolve the security of our data centers alongside changes in adversary activity, infrastructure complexity, and the increasing demands of OpenAI’s systems.

Requirements

• 15+ years of experience in security, including meaningful hands-on experience securing large-scale infrastructure, industrial environments, or data center systems.
• Deep expertise securing OT and IT networking environments in critical infrastructure settings, including segmentation strategies, remote access controls, asset visibility, and compensating controls for operational constraints.
• Experience building audit or assurance programs that validate ongoing compliance with defined security controls, especially across OT and IT networking environments, rather than relying on one-time point-in-time reviews.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills including the ability to partner effectively with internal and external stakeholders while operating with a high degree of autonomy.
• Strong knowledge of security engineering and operations across network security, IAM and PAM, hardening, provisioning, monitoring, incident response, and secure lifecycle practices.
• Experience protecting hyperscale, colocation, or hybrid infrastructure environments against sophisticated adversaries.
• Familiarity with control and governance frameworks such as NIST, ISO 27001, or SOC 2, and the ability to translate them into concrete technical and operational requirements.
• The ability to operate as a high-ownership individual contributor who influences through technical judgment, collaboration, and execution.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain risk, controls, and tradeoffs to both technical and non-technical partners.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family, with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts
• Pre-tax accounts for Health FSA, Dependent Care FSA, and commuter expenses (parking and transit)
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
• Paid parental leave (up to 24 weeks for birth parents and 20 weeks for non-birthing parents), plus paid medical and caregiver leave (up to 8 weeks)
• Paid time off: flexible PTO for exempt employees and up to 15 days annually for non-exempt employees
• 13+ paid company holidays, and multiple paid coordinated company office closures throughout the year for focus and recharge, plus paid sick or safe time (1 hour per 30 hours worked, or more, as required by applicable state or local law)
• Mental health and wellness support
• Employer-paid basic life and disability coverage
• Annual learning and development stipend to fuel your professional growth
• Daily meals in our offices, and meal delivery credits as eligible
• Relocation support for eligible employees
• Additional taxable fringe benefits, such as charitable donation matching and wellness stipends, may also be provided.