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Software Engineer, Life Sciences

OpenAISan FranciscoLife Sciences
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Salary
$347K – $450K
Job type
Full-time
Work mode
Remote
Experience
Senior
Posted
6 Oct 2026
Status
Open · checked 7d ago

About this role

Software Engineer, Life Sciences is a full-time individual contributor position based in San Francisco with OpenAI, focusing on building platforms that connect AI capabilities with scientific research workflows. This role suits experienced full-stack product engineers who possess strong backend skills and want to help accelerate scientific discovery through advanced technology.

Role Overview

The OpenAI Life Sciences team builds products that merge frontier model capabilities with practical scientific workflows, ranging from next-generation sequencing analysis to drug design. This position requires designing systems, defining products, and shipping experiences that assist scientists in running computational workloads and utilizing laboratory services. Engineers operate across the entire technology stack while collaborating closely with researchers, infrastructure specialists, and scientists.

Key Responsibilities

Build backend services, application programming interfaces, and integrations linking users with models, laboratory services, and scientific tools.
Design user interfaces that simplify navigation through complicated workflows for scientists.
Manage projects completely from initial problem definition and technical design through launching, operating, and iterating.
Collaborate with scientific partners to pinpoint user needs and prioritize product enhancements.
Coordinate with infrastructure engineers regarding performance, scaling, and reliability.
Balance speed, maintainability, and quality during engineering decisions.

Requirements

Possess strong software engineering fundamentals with a focus on backend development and full-stack building capabilities.
Bring experience in shipping and operating products utilized by large user bases.
Demonstrate product sense for converting ambiguous needs into functional software.
Work autonomously with limited direction to make technical decisions and drive projects forward.
Learn unfamiliar domains rapidly and collaborate effectively with technical and scientific partners.

Nice to Have

Experience constructing artificial intelligence applications, model-serving integrations, or inference platforms.
Background in developing marketplaces or products that coordinate complex workflows and services.
History of taking new products from concept phases through adoption.
Familiarity with laboratory systems, research data, or scientific tools.

Skills and Tools

Full-stack product engineering
Backend development
API design
Model-serving integrations
Inference platforms
AI applications

Salary and Benefits

Salary range between $347,000 and $450,000
Equity offerings included

About the Company

OpenAI operates as an artificial intelligence research and deployment organization focused on ensuring general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits humanity. The company emphasizes safety, human needs, and inclusivity, functioning as an equal opportunity employer.

How to Apply

Candidates should apply directly on the official OpenAI careers page.

Questions candidates ask

Where is this job located?

This position is located in San Francisco.

What is the salary range for this role?

The salary ranges from $347K to $450K, and the position includes equity offers.

Is a background in science required to apply?

No, life sciences experience is helpful, but a scientific background is not required to contribute.

Is this a team management position?

No, this is an individual contributor role with substantial ownership within a lean team.

Ready to apply?

The application is on the official OpenAI careers page.

Apply on company site