Federal Partnerships Account Executive (AI)

Location: Washington, DC, United States; hybrid work with three days in the office per week and up to 25% travel. Relocation assistance is available to new employees.

Salary: $261,000–$305,000 per year, plus equity and potential performance-related bonuses.

Company

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company developing general-purpose artificial intelligence products with a focus on safe deployment and broad human benefit.

What you will do

• Lead account strategy and commercial execution for an emerging defense technology portfolio from discovery and negotiation through close and expansion.
• Support strategic partnerships across the defense industrial base.
• Work with solutions and engineering teams to move customers from AI evaluation to deployment and sustained adoption.
• Maintain pipeline accuracy, consumption forecasts, and clear next steps.
• Build executive and technical relationships, connecting AI capabilities to business and mission outcomes.
• Coordinate internally to advance deals, remove blockers, deliver customer commitments, and bring customer insights into product and partnership decisions.

Requirements

• 8+ years of combined relevant experience across government, military service, defense technology, or PaaS/SaaS businesses, including at least 2 years in private-sector, customer-facing roles.
• Proven private-sector results with clear examples of personally driven business or customer outcomes.
• Strong business acumen and strategic judgment, including opportunity assessment, stakeholder navigation, and execution.
• Initiative, prioritization, persistence, and the ability to deliver amid ambiguity and the pace of defense technology.
• Clear communication and experience working directly with senior government or private-sector executives.
• Hands-on experience applying AI tools to practical problems, including explaining the approach, results, and limitations.
• Strong understanding of APIs and workflow integration, with the ability to engage engineering teams credibly.
• Initiative, urgency, coachability, and a record of acting on feedback and following through.

Nice to have

• Military service and/or defense technology experience.
• Customer-centricity, curiosity about AI capabilities, strong work ethic, and the ability to anticipate customer needs.

Culture & Benefits

• Hybrid work model with office attendance three days per week and up to 25% travel.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts.
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match, paid parental and caregiver leave, paid time off, company holidays, and paid sick or safe time.
• Mental health and wellness support, life and disability coverage, and an annual learning and development stipend.
• Office meals, eligible meal delivery credits, relocation support, and additional taxable fringe benefits.
• Employment is at-will; compensation components may be modified based on individual, team, company, or market factors.