Data Center Electrical R&D Design Engineer (AI Infrastructure)

Location: San Francisco, United States; hybrid

Salary: $257,000–$327,000 per year, plus equity and eligible bonuses

Company

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company developing general-purpose artificial intelligence and advanced AI infrastructure.

What you will do

• Develop advanced electrical architectures for high-density AI data centers, from utility interconnection through rack-level power delivery.
• Translate compute-platform requirements into electrical capacity, topology, redundancy, power-quality, protection, and control requirements.
• Create conceptual designs, specifications, one-line diagrams, design standards, and reusable reference architectures.
• Model system performance, capacity, efficiency, reliability, transient behavior, fault conditions, and failure scenarios.
• Evaluate emerging technologies including medium-voltage distribution, solid-state power conversion, advanced UPS systems, energy storage, alternative generation, and direct-current architectures.
• Develop prototypes, test plans, acceptance criteria, and validation frameworks; lead laboratory, factory, pilot-site, and field testing.
• Collaborate with compute hardware, mechanical, thermal, controls, software, construction, commissioning, operations, utilities, manufacturers, consultants, and research partners.
• Investigate failures, identify root causes, document validated designs and lessons learned, and provide technical direction and design-review leadership.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in electrical engineering, power-system design, data-center infrastructure, industrial power, or another critical-infrastructure environment.
• Deep expertise in electrical power distribution, including medium- and low-voltage systems, substations, transformers, switchgear, protection, UPS systems, generators, and rack-level power delivery.
• Experience developing electrical designs for large, complex, or high-availability facilities.
• Strong understanding of power-system modeling, short-circuit analysis, load flow, coordination studies, arc-flash analysis, power quality, grounding, and reliability.
• Experience translating uncertain or evolving requirements into testable engineering concepts and system architectures, and designing experiments, prototypes, pilots, or validation programs.
• Ability to reason across electrical, mechanical, controls, compute hardware, construction, commissioning, and operational boundaries.
• Experience evaluating engineering tradeoffs using quantitative analysis, simulation, testing, and field data.
• Strong technical writing and communication skills for explaining complex engineering decisions to technical and executive audiences.
• Experience directing engineering consultants, equipment manufacturers, and external technology partners.
• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a related engineering discipline.

Nice to have

• Master’s degree or PhD in electrical engineering, power systems, power electronics, energy systems, or a related field.
• Professional Engineer license or equivalent professional certification.
• Experience with high-density data centers, AI infrastructure, semiconductor manufacturing, advanced industrial facilities, or hyperscale computing environments.
• Experience with ETAP, SKM, EasyPower, PSCAD, MATLAB/Simulink, or comparable power-system analysis tools.
• Experience with power electronics, energy storage, microgrids, alternative generation, or advanced grid-interconnection technologies.
• Familiarity with digital twins, hardware-in-the-loop testing, real-time simulation, and data-driven infrastructure optimization.
• Experience carrying technology from research or prototype through qualification, commissioning, and scaled deployment.
• Knowledge of electrical codes, utility requirements, safety standards, and regulatory requirements across multiple geographies.
• Published research, patents, technical standards contributions, or demonstrated invention in electrical or critical-infrastructure systems.

Culture & Benefits

• Hybrid work in San Francisco with relocation support for eligible employees.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts.
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match, paid parental and medical leave, paid time off, holidays, and sick or safe time.
• Mental health and wellness support, life and disability coverage, and an annual learning and development stipend.
• Daily office meals, meal delivery credits for eligible employees, commuter benefits, charitable donation matching, and wellness stipends.