Platform Engineering Manager – Forward Deployed Engineering

OpenAI

. Lead a small team that multiplies the broader Forward Deployed Engineering organization’s impact .

Posted 9/28/2026full-timeSan Francisco • California • United StatesSeniorLead💰 $302,000 - $335,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates extensive experience in leading engineering teams, managing platform incubation work, and collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders to drive measurable outcomes. Proficient in maintaining high standards for design, code quality, and operational readiness while fostering an inclusive team environment.

Highest-signal resume keywords

8+ Years Engineering Experience2+ Years Managing High-Performance EngineersCross-Functional ExecutionPlatform Incubation ManagementStakeholder Partnership

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Platform ArchitectureCode Quality StandardsTesting MethodologiesObservability PracticesSoftware DevelopmentHypothesis RefinementAdoption MeasurementReusable Capabilities DevelopmentDesign Partner CollaborationOperational Readiness

Soft Skills

Influential LeadershipTeam DevelopmentEffective CommunicationDecision-Making Under AmbiguityInclusive Team Mechanics

Industry Keywords

B2B PlatformGovernance RequirementsCustomer-Grounded IdeasEngineering CollaborationSan Francisco Office

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead a small team that multiplies the broader Forward Deployed Engineering organization’s impact
Increase the rate at which customer-grounded ideas become durable, generalizable platform bets
Embed Platform FDE capacity with customer-tagged pods for architecture, product shaping, refactoring, hardening, and reusable abstractions
Collaborate with B2B Platform and long-term owners on architecture, interfaces, security/governance requirements, and handoff criteria
Manage a focused portfolio of platform incubation work with hypotheses, success criteria, and measurable adoption outcomes
Translate deployment signal into reusable capabilities for long-term owners
Lead through influence across multiple stakeholders and establish clear responsibility boundaries
Guide platform bets through sequencing, validation, and adoption measurement
Build and validate working software with design partners, instrument usage and outcomes, and iterate based on real-world constraints
Maintain standards for design, code quality, testing, observability, and operational readiness
Coach and develop engineers through feedback, expectations, and team mechanisms
Make tradeoffs under ambiguity, communicate decisions, and drive outcomes through partnership

Requirements

What you’ll need

8+ years of engineering experience
2+ years managing high-performance engineers
Ability to partner credibly with senior stakeholders while maintaining a high bar for delivery and technical rigor
Ability to shepherd and refine ideas, sharpen hypotheses, and make disciplined “scale vs pause” decisions
Cross-functional execution with engineering, product, research, and go-to-market teams
Ability to build inclusive team mechanics, including rotations, mentorship, and scoped ownership
Ability to work from the US office three days per week
Ability to work in the San Francisco office
Authorization to work in the country where the job is located

Benefits

Comp & perks

Equity
Performance-related bonus(es) for eligible employees
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)
Paid medical and caregiver leave (up to 8 weeks)
Flexible PTO for exempt employees and up to 15 days annually for non-exempt employees
13+ paid company holidays
Multiple paid coordinated company office closures throughout the year
Paid sick or safe time
Mental health and wellness support
Employer-paid basic life and disability coverage
Annual learning and development stipend
Daily meals in offices and meal delivery credits as eligible
Relocation support for eligible employees
Charitable donation matching
Wellness stipends
Immigration and sponsorship support may be provided based on individual circumstances