Forward Deployed Software Engineer - Seattle

We are looking for customer-focused software engineers to build effective custom software that leverages OpenAI's APIs to solve real customer problems. As an FDSWE, you will work with our customers and OpenAI Forward Deployed Engineers to design and implement scalable solutions that solve their most difficult problems. You will design abstractions to solve customer problems, and then use them to scale our speed and quality of delivery across all Forward Deployed engagements.

You will collaborate closely with Sales, Solutions Engineering, Solutions Architects, and Customer Success Managers who work on the same account. You will also work with our Research and Applied Product and Engineering teams to provide insightful customer feedback.

This role is based in Seattle. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week. We offer relocation assistance. Travel up to 50% is required.

In this role, you will:

• Embed deeply with strategic customers to understand their business challenges and technical requirements in detail.
• Design, architect, and develop full-stack solutions using an experiment-driven, iterative approach.
• Prepare detailed scopes of work and project plans for both proof-of-concept prototypes and full production deployments.
• Work hands-on with customers' technical teams as a technical expert and trusted advisor, coding side-by-side to drive projects to completion on their infrastructure.
• Collaborate with Product, Research and Applied teams to ensure seamless customer experiences, project success and actionable product feedback
• Contribute to internal knowledge bases, codifying best practices and sharing insights gained from customer engagements to scale the Forward Deployed Engineering function.

• 7+ years of professional full stack engineering experience (excluding internships) in relevant roles at tech and product-driven companies - customer-facing experience is highly desirable
• Former founder, or early engineer at a startup who has built a product from scratch is a plus
• Experience with relational databases like Postgres/MySQL
• Have a bias for action and willingness to work iteratively with your customers to deliver the right solution that solves their problem.

$153K - $325K medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, parental leave, paid time off, paid holidays, 401(k), retirement plan United States, Washington, Seattle Apr 11, 2026

About the team

OpenAI's Forward Deployed Engineering team partners with customers to turn research breakthroughs into production systems. We operate at the intersection of customer delivery and core platform development.

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., 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.