OpenAI · 5 days ago
Strategic Sourcing & Partnerships - Software Tools & Licenses
San Francisco, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
8+ years expOpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. The role involves leading strategy, sourcing, and vendor partnerships across OpenAI’s chip, system, and emulation ecosystem, with a focus on optimizing supplier relationships and contract negotiations to support ambitious hardware programs.
Agentic AIArtificial Intelligence (AI)Foundational AIGenerative AIMachine LearningNatural Language ProcessingSaaS
Responsibilities
Drive commercial structures and contracts ASICs including IP blocks, design services, verification, foundry/OSAT engagements, and NPI ramp support—ensuring shortened contract cycles and timely resource and capacity commitments
Lead end-to-end supplier and licensing strategy for EDA, IP, and large rack systems supporting OpenAI’s ASIC and infrastructure programs. Rationalize licensing across organizations to maximize efficiency and eliminate duplicate spend, influencing engineering to support strategic consolidation efforts
Own supplier/partner selection, evaluation, pricing, contracting, renewals, and performance management across current and future partners
Lead emulator negotiations, capacity planning, and usage agreements; develop escalation paths to meet critical engineering needs
Build durable executive relationships with suppliers/partners, run QBRs/TRMs, negotiate early-access programs, and align on joint roadmaps to provide visibility into OpenAI’s evolving supplier needs. Translate engineering requirements into sourcing specifications, terms, and license structures; manage vendor escalations and hold suppliers accountable for commitments
Partner closely with engineering, legal, and finance to balance trade-offs, serve as the single point of contact for Research/Scaling and other orgs, and ensure engagements are strategic rather than transactional to maximize OpenAI’s long-term leverage
Provide clear dashboards and reporting on spend, utilization, capacity, and risk
Qualification
Required
8+ years in EDA/IP licensing/strategic sourcing, and supplier base strategy roles
Experience in ASIC partnerships/strategic sourcing and deep familiarity with vendors in supply chains and ecosystems
Deep familiarity with vendors in EDA, IP, design services, and emulation
Strong commercial negotiation skills with a proven track record of securing favorable terms and managing complex contracts
Ability to partner with engineering leaders to translate technical needs into commercial outcomes
Executive maturity and presence to represent OpenAI with top vendor leadership
Excellent organizational and prioritization skills—able to manage ongoing needs while supporting rapid escalations
Company
OpenAI
OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company that develops advanced AI models, including ChatGPT. It is a sub-organization of OpenAI Foundation.
201-500 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$79BKey Investors
The Walt Disney CompanySoftBankThrive Capital
2025-12-11Corporate Round· $1B
2025-10-02Secondary Market· $6.6B
2025-03-31Series Unknown· $40B
Leadership Team
Fidji Simo
CEO, Applications
Sam Altman
CEO & Co-Founder
Recent News
2026-01-25
MIT Technology Review
2026-01-25
MIT Technology Review
2026-01-25
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