Field Engineer

About the Team

The OpenAI Robotics team is focused on unlocking general-purpose robotics and pushing towards AGI-level intelligence in dynamic, real-world settings. Working across the entire model stack, we integrate cutting-edge hardware and software to explore a broad range of robotic form factors. We strive to seamlessly blend high-level AI capabilities with the constraints of physical systems to improve peoples’ lives.

About the Role

We are seeking a Field Engineer to own the day-to-day technical health of robotic workcells used in ongoing operations. You will diagnose and resolve issues across mechanical, electrical, and software disciplines, perform on-site repairs, and drive improvements that increase system reliability and maintainability. You will manage and prioritize incoming tickets, work closely with operators and engineering teams, and ensure that systems remain safe, functional, and ready for continuous use. Your work directly supports the high-uptime operation of the robotic systems that power key research and development efforts.

This role will be based in San Francisco, CA until April 2026 and then move to Richmond, CA. We require 5 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees.

In this role, you will:

• Serve as the primary engineering owner responsible for keeping our fleet of robotic workcells online in daily operation.

• Partner closely with technicians and operations staff to develop and execute scalable fleet support processes.

• Diagnose and fix/mitigate/escalate novel issues spanning mechanics, electronics, controls, and software interfaces.

• Create documentation and diagnostic playbooks that allow technicians to operationalize engineering insights at fleet scale

• Develop (or spec) HW and SW tools to improve fleet support, monitoring, and diagnostics for all stakeholders

• Perform on-site troubleshooting and pair-debugging with technicians

• Bring up and support prototype systems directly, transitioning them to scalable operations processes as they mature

• Use CAD to design small components, fixtures, brackets, or light modifications to existing assemblies.

• Write lightweight data analysis scripts to identify and track issues in the fleet

• Manage, triage, and respond to inbound tickets, escalate issues appropriately, and maintain clear documentation and handoffs.

• Provide high-signal failure reports, issue trends, and feedback to engineering teams to inform design improvements.

You might thrive in this role if you:

• Have experience being responsible for prototype or early-life robotic arms, automation equipment, or human-in-the-loop robotic systems and can serve as source of truth and author of “robot manual” for our deployed systems

• Have 5+ years of experience supporting HW and SW of electromechanical or robotic systems in production, R&D, or operational environments.

• Can independently troubleshoot and repair issues under time pressure in a live operational setting.

• Are comfortable working across mechanical, electrical, and embedded-software disciplines.

• Can interpret logs, verify configurations, and perform basic software debugging.

• Excel at writing clear, structured issue reports and communicating concisely with operators, shift managers, and other engineers.

• Maintain strong organizational habits, including disciplined ticket management, documentation, and shift-to-shift communication.

• Love getting your hands dirty and running complex issues to ground

• Hold a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, or a related field.

Preferred qualifications

• Familiarity with robot middleware, motion-control stacks, and real-time debugging tools.

• Experience troubleshooting issues in complicated electrical assemblies and wire harnesses

• Background in labs, test engineering, field service, or other environments requiring strict safety and uptime standards.

• Ability to write SOPs, maintenance procedures, and clear technical documentation.

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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