SMS Prototype Handling Specialist

About the Team

Security is at the foundation of OpenAIs mission to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. Our Security team protects OpenAIs technology people and products. We are technical in what we build but operational in how we do our work and we are committed to supporting all products and research at OpenAI.

As part of this our Secure Manufacturing & Stealth (SMS) team is a dedicated function that partners closely with supply chain and operations teams to protect OpenAIs most sensitive projects. We design and enforce safeguards that ensure our innovations remain confidential until launch while enabling our engineers and partners to move quickly and effectively. Our teams tenets include: prioritizing for impact preparing for future transformative technologies building trust with cross-functional partners and fostering a robust culture of security and confidentiality.

About the Role

We are seeking a Senior SMS Prototype Handling Specialist to lead OpenAIs efforts around handling sensitive product prototypes and secure logistics. You will design and drive programs that safeguard our most advanced projects by making sure all prototypes are constantly accounted for and are securely transported worldwide.

This role reports to the Senior Secure Manufacturing and Stealth Specialist and operates as a staff-level individual contributor owning the design execution and continuous improvement of prototype handling operations. While this role does not manage people it exercises significant cross-functional influence sets operational standards and is trusted to independently resolve complex high-risk situations involving OpenAIs most sensitive hardware.

You will be the single accountable owner for the integrity of OpenAIs prototype inventory and logistics systems ensuring that all prototypes are continuously accounted for across locations teams and borders. This role requires deep judgment high trust and the ability to operate effectively amid ambiguity urgency and evolving security requirements.

This role is based in San Francisco CA. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees. This position requires travel up to 25% to international vendor and partner locations.

In this role you will:

• Maintain continuous auditable accountability for all assigned OpenAI hardware prototypes.

• Operate and administer a secure prototype library including inventory systems physical storage and check-in / check-out workflows.

• Execute access control processes to ensure prototypes are issued only to approved OpenAI personnel with appropriate authorization.

• Coordinate secure domestic and international logistics for prototypes including shipment planning hand-carry transport customs coordination and chain-of-custody documentation.

• Support engineering teams through prototype build testing iteration and return cycles.

• Perform routine and ad-hoc inventory audits reconciliations and discrepancy investigations.

• Maintain accurate records logs and reporting on prototype status location and access history.

• Identify operational risks gaps or anomalies and escalate clearly and promptly to the Senior Secure Manufacturing and Stealth Specialist.

• Support incident response activities related to lost damaged or compromised devices.

• Execute established security procedures consistently while contributing practical feedback to improve operational processes.

You might thrive in this role if you:

• Have 58 years of experience in secure logistics hardware operations prototype management physical asset control or supply chain operations.

• Have hands-on experience managing sensitive or high-value hardware across multiple teams or locations.

• Are comfortable being personally accountable for inventory accuracy and chain-of-custody integrity.

• Demonstrate sound judgment discretion and reliability when handling confidential materials.

• Are experienced with asset tracking systems audit processes and operational documentation.

• Can work independently on well-defined problems while collaborating effectively with engineers security partners and operations teams.

• Are comfortable traveling internationally and operating in high-trust high-sensitivity environments.

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 OpenAIs Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement.

Background checks for applicants will be administered in accordance with applicable law and qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment consistent with those laws including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act for US-based candidates. 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 addition job duties require access to secure and protected information technology systems and related data security obligations.

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Required Experience:

IC