OpenAI Software Engineer Systems Research Summer 2026 Internship - Apply Now!
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OpenAI Research Summer 2026 Internship |
OpenAI Software Engineer Systems Research Internship 2026 | Apply Now
Are you a visionary PhD student eager to optimize the very infrastructure that powers the world's most advanced AI models? The OpenAI Software Engineer Systems Research Internship in San Francisco offers an exclusive 13-week opportunity to tackle complex, real-world systems engineering challenges at the frontier of artificial intelligence. Step out of the lab and into the Applied team to build, scale, and publish groundbreaking research that ensures AI tools are globally accessible, efficient, and reliable.
💡 99jobs Pro-Tip: How to Stand Out
To stand out to OpenAI's Applied team, emphasize your ability to bridge the gap between theoretical research and production-scale engineering. Highlight specific systems projects where you formulated a clear hypothesis (e.g., latency reduction) and successfully modified a real system using C++, Rust, or Python , as demonstrating a bias for action in ambiguous environments is exactly what they seek.
Key Highlights:
- Organization: OpenAI
- Job Title: Software Engineer Systems Research Internship, Applied Emerging Talent
- Duty Station: San Francisco, California
- Work Mode: In-person
- Compensation: $67.00 per hour
- Duration: 13 Weeks (Summer 2026)
- Official Job Page: View Official Job Post
Particulars & Details
| Organization | OpenAI |
|---|---|
| Department | Applied Team / Emerging Talent |
| Post Name | Systems Research Intern |
| Location | San Francisco, CA |
| Duration | 13 Weeks (with potential extension up to 26 weeks) |
| Work Type | Full-time Internship (In-person) |
| Last Date to Apply | Ongoing Basis |
About the Role
OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. The Applied team works across research, engineering, product, and design to bring OpenAI's technology to the world safely and responsibly. A systems research internship is tailored for individuals who love the real-world intersection of systems-engineering and research. The primary goal is practical impact: making Applied Systems more efficient, scalable, and reliable.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Focus on improving real systems in areas like distributed systems & storage (throughput, latency, consistency), and compute & scheduling (GPU/accelerator utilization, orchestration).
- Work on performance engineering, including profiling, bottleneck identification, and capacity planning.
- Enhance reliability & observability through fault tolerance and incident learning, as well as optimizing networking & data pipelines.
- Improve systems for ML, including training/inference performance and evaluation infrastructure.
- Define clear hypotheses (e.g., "we think X will reduce latency by Y") and build or modify real systems, prototyping production-quality improvements.
- Run rigorous experiments and benchmarks, analyze results, and clearly communicate tradeoffs and recommendations.
- Publish research work in technical journals and conferences.
Eligibility Criteria
- Educational Status: Must be currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a relevant technical field.
- Research Background: Must be conducting ongoing research on systems topics such as DL/ML, information retrieval, systems security and cryptography, databases, networking, distributed systems, or compilers.
- Availability: Must be available for a 13-week, in-person internship based in the San Francisco office during Summer 2026.
Qualifications, Skills and Competencies
- Programming Proficiency: High proficiency with coding in languages such as C++, Java, Python, Rust, etc..
- Execution & Adaptability: Demonstrated ability to move fast in an environment where things are sometimes loosely defined and may feature competing priorities or deadlines.
- Systems Engineering: Strong capability to investigate hard systems problems, build meaningful solutions, and measure outcomes carefully.
Internship Conditions & Benefits
- Compensation: This position offers a highly competitive pay rate of $67.00 per hour.
- Program Extension: In some cases, the internship may be extended for an additional 13 weeks (for a total of up to 26 weeks) based on team needs, candidate interest, and performance.
- Compliance & Background Checks: Background checks will be administered in accordance with applicable laws, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and California Fair Chance Act. Job duties require access to secure, proprietary information technology systems, necessitating strict data security obligations.
- Equal Opportunity: OpenAI is an equal opportunity employer committed to encompassing the many different perspectives and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity. Reasonable accommodations are provided to applicants with disabilities.
Important Dates
- Program Term: Summer 2026
- Application Deadline: Positions are filled on an ongoing basis. Candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible.
How to Apply
- Navigate to the official OpenAI Careers portal using the link provided below.
- Review the complete job description to ensure you meet the PhD enrollment and coding proficiency requirements.
- Click "Apply now" to create your applicant profile.
- Submit your resume, highlighting relevant systems research, publications, and specific technical projects.
Important Links
- Apply Online: Click Here to Submit Application
- OpenAI Careers Portal: [openai.com/careers](https://openai.com/careers)
FAQs
- Where is the internship located? The internship is based in-person at the OpenAI office in San Francisco, California.
- Is the internship paid? Yes, the role offers a compensation of $67 per hour.
- How long is the program? The core internship is 13 weeks, with the potential to be extended up to a total of 26 weeks.
- Do I need to be a PhD student? Yes, the role requires candidates to be currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
Disclaimer: This opportunity is shared for informational purposes only. We at 99jobs.org are not the organizing or recruiting institution. We do not accept or process applications and cannot influence selection decisions. Applicants must apply directly through the official organization website. Please verify all details from the official source before applying.
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