Technical Program Manager, Infrastructure Foundations

As a Technical Program Manager at OpenAI, your primary responsibilities will include defining infrastructure roadmaps based on a deep understanding of engineering and research workload needs, driving datacenter selection, and managing hardware procurement and networking architecture. You will work closely with various teams, ensuring clear communication during handoffs and executing projects independently until passing them off to specialized teams.

To be considered for the Technical Program Manager role at OpenAI, you should have significant technical experience related to infrastructure, engineering, or program management. Additionally, proven capabilities in managing end-to-end infrastructure projects, effective communication skills, and a practical, self-driven work ethic are essential for success in this position.

At OpenAI, Technical Program Managers are supported through collaboration with diverse teams across the organization, including engineering, research, and operations. You will have the opportunity to drive projects independently and be provided relocation assistance if necessary, ensuring a smooth transition into the team and work environment.

The Technical Program Manager role at OpenAI follows a hybrid work model, where you’ll work in the office three days a week. This allows for a collaborative environment while also offering flexible work arrangements to promote a balanced work-life dynamic.

The Technical Program Manager position at OpenAI is unique due to its emphasis on blending strategy with hands-on execution. You will have the opportunity to influence critical infrastructure decisions that impact cutting-edge AI technology, contributing directly to OpenAI's mission of promoting the responsible and beneficial use of artificial intelligence.

When answering this question, highlight specific infrastructure projects you have managed, detailing your role, the challenges faced, and the outcomes achieved. Focus on how you utilized your technical background to drive successful results, ensuring to tie your experiences back to the key responsibilities of the Technical Program Manager role at OpenAI.

Explain your strategy for engaging and managing vendor relationships, emphasizing your communication skills and ability to negotiate effectively. Give examples of past experiences where you successfully collaborated with vendors to secure optimal outcomes for your projects, showcasing the value you brought to those collaborations.

Provide a detailed account of a specific problem you encountered and your method for resolving it. Discuss the analytical techniques and technical intuition you employed, highlighting how you turned ambiguous issues into actionable solutions that benefited the project and overall infrastructure capabilities.

Discuss the tools and techniques you use to maintain clear and consistent communication, such as regular check-ins, project management software, or collaborative platforms. Emphasize how these practices help facilitate collaboration between diverse teams and ensure that everyone is aligned on project goals and deliverables.

Illustrate your approach to prioritization by discussing your methods for assessing project urgency and importance. Explain how you would gather data from stakeholders, evaluate workload requirements, and think critically about resource allocation to make informed priority decisions.

Discuss current trends in infrastructure management, such as cloud computing, sustainability efforts, or scalable architectures. Relate how these trends could influence the Technical Program Manager role at OpenAI, showing that you understand the broader context of the industry and how it aligns with OpenAI's vision.

Detail your experience collaborating with teams from different functions, emphasizing how you built relationships and fostered collaboration. Share specific examples demonstrating your ability to bridge communication gaps and ensure that all stakeholders remained engaged and informed throughout project lifecycles.

Articulate the methods you use to stay informed about emerging technologies and best practices in infrastructure management. Mention resources such as online courses, industry publications, networking events, or subscriptions to relevant forums that help you keep your knowledge current and applicable to your role.

Share your strategies for conflict resolution, focusing on your ability to facilitate open dialogue and encourage collaboration. Provide examples of how you've successfully navigated differences in opinion to bring teams together and align on common project goals.

Discuss the key performance indicators (KPIs) you prioritize when assessing project outcomes, such as cost efficiency, time management, and overall impact on organizational goals. Highlight examples of past projects where you successfully measured these metrics and made data-driven decisions to enhance future infrastructure initiatives.