Data Center Hardware Operations Lead

About the Team
OpenAI, in close collaboration with our capital partners, is building the world's most advanced AI infrastructure ecosystem. This team defines and executes our core infrastructure strategy. From site selection through full buildout, we sit at the intersection of commercial, technical, strategy, and operations, partnering closely with internal teams and external stakeholders.

About the Role
We are seeking a Data Center Lead focused on hardware and network operations, and logistics, with 15+ years of experience managing complex, mission-critical data center environments. You will oversee and optimize day-to-day hardware physical operations-including material movement, and hardware maintenance-across our expanding global footprint. This role includes designing scalable repair and logistics systems, managing vendors, and ensuring seamless coordination across facilities, supply chain, and engineering. If you thrive in highly complex, fast-paced environments and have a track record of operational excellence at scale, we encourage you to apply.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with internal and external teams to establish the hardware operations strategy, critical metrics, and SLAs.

• Lead daily physical operations for data center campuses, from commissioning through ongoing maintenance.

• Design and implement robust logistics systems for material movement, repairs, and operational workflows.

• Collaborate with engineering, construction, supply chain, and operations teams to streamline processes and resolve bottlenecks.

• Develop tools and practices for improved traceability, throughput, and vendor coordination.

• Manage relationships with external partners and ensure alignment with operational goals.

• Apply best practices in logistics and operational planning to support scalable infrastructure growth.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in physical operations and logistics for mission-critical infrastructure and data centers.

• Proven ability to manage complex logistics systems and coordinate across disciplines.

• Deep understanding of operational processes for large-scale facilities including maintenance, construction support, and warehousing.

• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and working with third-party vendors.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Logistics, Operations Management, or a related field (advanced certifications preferred).

Preferred Skills

• 20+ years of experience managing global-scale data center operations and logistics.

• Expertise in supply chain logistics and systems implementation for hyperscale environments.

• Strong leadership in dynamic, high-pressure settings with evolving technical needs.

About OpenAI

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We push the boundaries of the capabilities of AI systems and seek to safely deploy them to the world through our products. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core, and to achieve our mission, we must encompass and value the many different perspectives, voices, and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic.

For additional information, please see OpenAI's Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable law, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act. For unincorporated Los Angeles County workers: we reasonably believe that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship with the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: protect computer hardware entrusted to you from theft, loss or damage; return all computer hardware in your possession (including the data contained therein) upon termination of employment or end of assignment; and maintain the confidentiality of proprietary, confidential, and non-public information. In addition, job duties require access to secure and protected information technology systems and related data security obligations.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made via this link.

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At OpenAI, we believe artificial intelligence has the potential to help people solve immense global challenges, and we want the upside of AI to be widely shared. Join us in shaping the future of technology.

Compensation Range: $175K - $415K