Data Center Security Engineering Lead

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. This team is central to this mission, setting the core infra strategy and implementing this vision. From site selection to the buildout process, this team sits at the intersection of commercial, technical, strategy, and operations, interacting with teams and executives inside and outside of OpenAI. 

About the Role:
We are seeking a Data Center Lead for Physical Operations and Logistics with 15+ years of experience in ensuring the safety, security, and operational efficiency of mission-critical data center facilities. This role is responsible for developing and implementing end-to-end security strategies and logistical systems for daily operations, and risk mitigation measures to protect large-scale data center campuses, in partnership with our security team. In this role, you will collaborate with experts across multiple disciplines (security, networking, power, cooling, supply chain, construction, and operations) to design and enforce security protocols, improve logistics efficiency, and ensure compliance with industry security standards. If you are a strategic thinker with deep expertise in datacenter operations, physical security, risk analysis, and logistics, and thrive in highly complex, mission-critical environments, we encourage you to apply.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work cross-functionally with security and datacenter teams to develop, implement, and enforce physical security protocols, policies, and procedures for mission-critical data center operations, including warehousing, logistics, and campus security.

• Conduct security risk analysis and stress testing to identify vulnerabilities, optimize logistical systems, and remove operational bottlenecks.

• Define and implement physical and operational security systems for large-scale data center infrastructure.

• Oversee the logistical framework for daily data center construction, bring up, and operations, including material movement, repairs, and maintenance workflows.

• Apply best practices to ensure the highest standards of end-to-end physical security for data center campuses.

• Ensure compliance with physical security regulations, industry codes, and standards for mission-critical facilities.

• Manage relationships with external vendors and partners, ensuring alignment with security and logistical objectives.

Qualifications:

• 15+ years of experience in physical security, operations, and logistics for mission-critical infrastructure and data centers.

• Proven track record in defining and implementing security systems for large-scale data centers or similar high-security facilities.

• Expertise in security risk analysis, stress testing, and operational optimization.

• Strong understanding of physical security compliance codes and industry standards.

• Extensive experience in managing daily logistics, material movement, and maintenance operations for data centers.

• Demonstrated ability to work with external vendors, partners, and regulatory bodies to ensure security compliance and operational efficiency.

• Bachelor’s degree in Security Management, Engineering, Logistics, or a related field (advanced certifications preferred).

Preferred Skills:

• 20+ years of experience in global-scale data center security and logistics management.

• Expertise in emerging security technologies and automation for mission-critical infrastructure.

• Strong experience in supply chain logistics and warehouse security for high-risk environments.

• Proven ability to lead in ambiguous, high-pressure environments and drive strategic security initiatives.

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 do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. 

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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, and requests can be made via this link.

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