# Principal Software Engineer, B2B Engineering

**Company:** [OpenAI](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/openai)
**Location:** San Francisco, CA
**Role:** Backend Engineering
**Salary:** $385k – $490k/yr
**Skills:** Python, Go, Rust, TypeScript, Distributed Systems, APIs, Databases, Data Pipelines, Kubernetes, Docker
**Posted:** 2026-03-23

> Leads architecture and scaling of backend services, APIs, distributed systems, databases, and data pipelines for OpenAI's developer platform and enterprise products. Requires deep expertise in backend engineering, reliability, security, and cross-team collaboration in fast-paced environments.

## Job Description

## Responsibilities
- Design, build, and scale the backend services, APIs, and infrastructure that power OpenAI’s developer and enterprise products
- Lead the architecture of distributed systems, databases, and data pipelines that support large-scale, high-reliability production workloads
- Own major platform capabilities end-to-end, from early technical strategy and design through implementation, launch, and long-term operation
- Shape the design of our APIs with care and intentionality, treating API interfaces as core product surfaces and driving a high-quality developer experience
- Build secure, reliable, and compliant systems that meet the needs of both enterprise and developer use cases
- Partner closely with product, research, design, infrastructure, and forward-deployed engineering teams to bring new capabilities into production
- Drive technical direction across complex problem spaces, making sound architectural tradeoffs that balance speed, quality, and long-term maintainability
- Improve engineering velocity by building internal tooling, platform abstractions, and systems that increase leverage across the broader organization
- Raise the bar for engineering quality, system design, operational excellence, and technical decision-making across teams
- Help identify and solve ambiguous, high-impact technical problems that cut across multiple systems and stakeholders

## Requirements
- Significant experience building, scaling, and evolving production backend systems in fast-moving environments
- Deep expertise in software engineering fundamentals, distributed systems, and API design
- Proficient in one or more backend languages such as **Python**, **Go**, **Rust**, or **TypeScript**
- Track record of leading complex technical initiatives and driving architecture across teams or critical product areas
- Care deeply about reliability, safety, security, and performance in production environments
- Strong product instincts and a high bar for developer experience and interface design
- Comfortable working in ambiguous, fast-moving environments and can create clarity where little exists
- Own problems end-to-end and are eager to learn whatever is needed to solve them
- Build thoughtfully, move with urgency, and collaborate effectively across disciplines
- Influence technical direction through strong judgment, clear communication, and consistently high-quality execution
- Experience as a founder or early engineer at a startup, or have built products and platforms from scratch

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