Job Description

New Product Explorations - San Francisco

Our Robotics team is focused on unlocking general-purpose robotics and pushing towards AGI-level intelligence in dynamic, real-world settings. Working across the entire model stack, we integrate cutting-edge hardware and software to explore a broad range of robotic form factors. We strive to seamlessly blend high-level AI capabilities with the physical constraints of physical robotic platforms.

About the Role

As a Hardware Engineer on the Robotics team, you will help shape the next generation of embodied AI. You’ll be involved in evaluating and refining new physical configurations—integrating novel sensors, actuators, and computational elements to bring our advanced models into the real world. This role offers the chance to influence how our AI scales beyond simulation, ensuring that each design, test, and iteration moves us closer to truly adaptive, versatile robotic systems.

This role is based in San Francisco, CA, and requires in-person work 5 days a week.

You might thrive in this role if you:

• Have at least 8 years of consumer or industrial electronics experience, including at least 2 years of experience designing robotics hardware components and systems.
• Have direct hands-on experience in mechanism design, focusing on actuators, motors, gearing, and limb design.
• Hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Product Design, or a related field, or have equivalent practical experience.
• Are experienced in Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), statistical tolerance analysis techniques, CTF dimensioning, and geometric tolerancing.
• Have a strong understanding of manufacturing processes, materials science, and tolerance analysis.
• Possess excellent 3D CAD skills in a leading design tool, including basic strength analysis.
• Have strong technical communication skills with peer engineers, software engineers, and cross-functional partners.

Additional, preferred qualifications:

• Experience with thermal cooling solutions for hardware and silicon, or integrating sensors.
• Experience designing mechanical systems intended for high volume (1M+ units).
• Experience problem-solving on assembly lines and directing contract manufacturing teams through all design phases.

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 AI capabilities and seek to deploy them safely through our products. AI is a powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core. We value diverse perspectives, voices, and experiences that represent the full spectrum of humanity.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

For US-based candidates: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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

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

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