Why This Job is Featured on The SaaS Jobs
This role stands out in the SaaS ecosystem because it sits at the physical layer of AI compute delivery, where cloud software ambitions meet real-world infrastructure constraints. Within OpenAI’s Stargate program, the work is oriented around bringing up and standardising large data center network deployments that underpin product availability and performance for software delivered at scale. It is a reminder that for modern SaaS, reliability and throughput are increasingly determined by how well foundational networking is executed and commissioned.
For a long-term SaaS career, the value is in learning how high-scale platforms are built repeatably across sites, not just operated once in steady state. The remit includes translating network design into installable plans, validating acceptance criteria, and turning field lessons into deployment playbooks, experience that maps to broader infrastructure and platform operations roles across SaaS. Exposure to vendor coordination and partner-run campuses also builds fluency in the multi-party delivery model common in large cloud programs.
This position fits professionals who prefer hands-on technical ownership and are comfortable bridging engineering intent with on-the-floor realities. It will suit someone who enjoys structured troubleshooting, documentation discipline, and setting standards that others can implement across future expansions, particularly in environments where uptime targets depend on clean physical execution.
The section above is editorial commentary from The SaaS Jobs, provided to help SaaS professionals understand the role in a broader industry context.
Job Description
About the Team
OpenAI, in close collaboration with our capital partners, is embarking on a journey to build the world’s most advanced AI infrastructure ecosystem. Our Stargate program develops and deploys massive, state-of-the-art data center campuses in partnership with industry leaders today—and through future OpenAI infrastructure projects tomorrow. We design for scale, speed, and reliability, and we need experienced technicians who can translate network blueprints into physical reality.
About the Role
We are seeking a senior datacenter networking technician who thrives in fast-moving build environments and is eager to roll up their sleeves during active datacenter deployments.
Your first assignment will focus on the physical bring-up of network infrastructure at a large partner-operated campus, collaborating with partner teams and their delivery vendors to achieve agreed performance and reliability targets. As that campus reaches steady state, you will transition to lead network deployment for future OpenAI data center projects, defining standards and guiding implementation across multiple locations.
Candidates must be able to sit onsite in Abilene, Texas 5 days per week
In This Role You Will:
Serve as OpenAI’s technical lead technician during the current campus build, partnering with internal engineers and external contractors on design reviews, installation plans, and acceptance criteria.
Spend significant time on the data-center floor performing inspections, assisting with cable routing/termination when needed, conducting fiber testing (OTDR, power levels, continuity), and resolving installation challenges in real time.
Troubleshoot and optimize cabling routes, patching, and equipment turn-up to ensure clean, reliable handoff to network operations.
Contribute to design discussions and peer reviews for structured cabling and physical network layouts, providing practical field feedback to engineering teams.
Develop repeatable engineering standards, as-built documentation, and deployment playbooks to accelerate future OpenAI campuses
Transition to hands-on design and deployment leadership for upcoming OpenAI data center expansions, owning network physical-layer deployment from design through commissioning.
You Might Thrive in This Role If You:
Have 7+ years of experience in large-scale datacenter network deployment, structured cabling, or physical-layer installation.
Possess deep knowledge of fiber/copper plant design, cabling standards, and hyperscale network best practices.
Excel in field work while applying seasoned technical judgment to solve complex installation and testing issues.
Adapt quickly to changing build conditions and enjoy learning emerging networking technologies.
Communicate clearly with construction, engineering, and operations teams to drive projects to completion.
Are willing to be based at a partner campus during the initial build phase and to travel to future OpenAI data center projects.
Preferred Skills
Exposure to automation tools (Ansible, SaltStack) or scripting (Python, Shell) for configuration or documentation.
Experience with hyperscale Clos fabrics or large-scale network design.
Familiarity with routing and switching concepts (BGP, OSPF, EVPN/VXLAN) and basic Linux/network troubleshooting.
Industry certifications such as BICSI, CCNA/CCNP, or equivalent.
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 OpenAI’s 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 information. In addition, job duties require access to secure and protected information technology systems and related data security obligations.
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