Strategic Sourcing Manager, Data Center Infrastructure, Electrical & Mechanical
OpenAI · San Francisco, CA · Cloud, IT and infrastructure · posted today
OpenAI · San Francisco, CA · posted 60 days ago
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 09/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
| Employer | OpenAI |
|---|---|
| Location | San Francisco, California |
| Field | Technology › Cloud, IT and infrastructure |
| Level | not stated |
| Source category | Research, Robotics |
| Posted | 2026-09-10 (60 days ago) |
| Work arrangement | A remote or flexible location is listed |
| Pay | Not published in the source listing |
Our 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.
We are seeking a Mechanical Engineer to design, build, and own the mechanical side of our robotic actuator dynamometer and test infrastructure. You will create the test stands, couplings, fixtures, load paths, guarding, and serviceable lab hardware that enable rigorous characterization of robotic actuators.
This role combines precision mechanical design with hands-on lab work. You will take robotic actuator test infrastructure from requirements and analysis through CAD, fabrication, assembly, commissioning, and iteration, partnering closely with electrical and software engineers to deliver safe, flexible, high-uptime test cells.
Own the mechanical architecture of dynamometer and actuator test cells, including frames, bases, load paths, alignment, guarding, and serviceability.
Design dynamometer structures, robotic actuator fixtures, load-motor mounts, couplings, shafts, bearings, adapters, and torque-reaction hardware.
Translate robotic actuator test requirements into robust mechanical systems for torque, speed, thermal, durability, backdrive, efficiency, and failure testing.
Perform first-principles analysis and simulation for stiffness, strength, fatigue, vibration, thermal growth, critical speed, and safety factors.
Create precise, repeatable alignment strategies that protect test articles, load machines, sensors, and couplings.
Design modular fixturing that supports rapid changeover across actuator and motor variants without compromising measurement quality.
Work closely with electrical engineers on cable routing, enclosures, cooling, sensor packaging, and test-cell safety interfaces.
Work closely with software and controls engineers to define mechanical limits, safe operating envelopes, and automated-test constraints.
Build, assemble, debug, and improve test stands in the lab, using measurement and fabrication tools directly.
Develop guarding, containment, pinch-point mitigation, hard stops, and other mechanical safety systems for high-energy rotating equipment.
Manage fabrication partners and vendors for machined parts, weldments, bearings, couplings, sensors, and test-stand components.
Establish drawings, tolerance stacks, assembly procedures, inspection plans, and preventive-maintenance practices.
Use test observations and failure analysis to continuously improve durability, usability, uptime, and measurement fidelity.
Have strong intuition for load paths, stiffness, alignment, rotating machinery, and the practical behavior of real hardware.
Enjoy designing fixtures and structures that are precise, robust, safe, and easy for others to use.
Are highly hands-on and comfortable assembling, aligning, instrumenting, and debugging test equipment.
Can move fluidly between first-principles analysis, CAD, vendor collaboration, and lab iteration.
Care about details such as tolerances, runout, resonance, thermal growth, guarding, and serviceability.
Are comfortable working in fast-moving environments with evolving test needs and aggressive technical goals.
Take ownership of the full test-stand lifecycle, from concept through reliable daily operation.
Communicate clearly across mechanical, electrical, controls, software, safety, and operations teams.
Are motivated by building infrastructure that reveals how advanced robotic actuators really perform.
Are excited to build mechanical test infrastructure that accelerates robotic actuator development.
Preferred qualifications
Bachelor’s or graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Mechatronics, or a related field.
Experience designing mechanical systems for robotic actuator dynamometers, robotics, automation, rotating machinery, aerospace, automotive, or similar high-performance hardware.
Strong understanding of structures, load paths, shafts, bearings, couplings, fasteners, tolerances, alignment, and vibration.
Experience designing fixtures, test stands, frames, guarding, and precision mechanical interfaces.
Proficiency with CAD and drawing release workflows; NX, SolidWorks, Creo, or equivalent experience is welcome.
Experience with structural, thermal, fatigue, or modal analysis and applying results to practical hardware decisions.
Hands-on experience with assembly, machining, metrology, alignment, and troubleshooting in a lab or prototype environment.
Familiarity with mechanical safety for rotating equipment, containment, interlocks, and safe operating envelopes.
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.
To notify OpenAI that you believe this job posting is non-compliant, please submit a report through this form. No response will be provided to inquiries unrelated to job posting compliance.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made via this link.
OpenAI Global Applicant Privacy Policy
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.
Field: Technology Sub-niche: Cloud, IT and infrastructure All jobs at OpenAI Jobs in California Jobs in San Francisco, CA San Francisco city guide California state guide San Francisco County economy Pay for this occupation (BLS) All 254 open jobs for this occupation
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This is a — role in the Technology field (Cloud, IT and infrastructure) at OpenAI.
The closest occupation in the official wage statistics is Mechanical engineers (a match by name, so treat it as an estimate). Nationally its median pay is $104,110 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), employment is projected to change by +11.2% between 2025 and 2035, and the typical entry route is: Bachelor's degree.
In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area the median for this occupation is $161,370 a year with 5,150 jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This is a statistic for the occupation, not an offer from this employer.
Pay by state and metro area for this occupation →
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; set your own state tax rate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
This is editorial guidance, not information from the employer.
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The job is in San Francisco, CA. Below is what the official statistics say about living and working there.
How San Francisco compares. Among the 145 largest places in California, San Francisco is #4 by population, #139 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #20 for remote work (#1 = most), #25 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, San Francisco County, is #3 of 58 counties for average pay ($174,103).
San Francisco has 830,235 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 2.1% of the population of California. It covers 47 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 17,784 people per square mile. The median age is 40.0, 6% older than the state median (40.0 against 37.9).
The median gross rent is $2,476 a month (rent plus utilities), 22% above the state median ($2,476 against $2,036). Over a year that is 21.1% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $1,394,500, which is 9.9 times the median household income ($140,970); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 38.2% of households own their home, 32% below the state average (38.2% against 55.9%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metropolitan area has 2,373,920 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $74,260 a year, 46% above the national median ($74,260 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (226,320 jobs, median $62,120); management (223,100 jobs, median $176,340); business and financial operations (207,030 jobs, median $112,960). The area is most specialised in computer and mathematical (1.9 times) and life, physical, and social science (1.8 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($176,340) and computer and mathematical ($167,770). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of San Francisco County was 4.0%. 69.6% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in San Francisco County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 28.6% drive alone, 18.7% use public transit, 9.3% walk, 31.0% work from home. 21.6% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 11% above the state average (21.6% against 19.4%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
60.3% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 63% above the state share (60.3% against 37.1%). 34.0% of residents were born outside the United States, 26% above the state share (34.0% against 27.0%). The poverty rate is 11.2%, 7% below the state rate (11.2% against 12.0%).
The warmest month is Sep, averaging 59°F (14.9°C), and the coolest is Apr at 53°F (11.6°C). About 515 mm (20 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (112 mm) and Jul the driest (2 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Daly City (31 miles, rent 3% higher); Pacifica (31 miles, rent 25% higher); San Bruno (34 miles, rent 12% higher); Millbrae (36 miles, rent 32% higher). Rent differences are against San Francisco; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Full guide to San Francisco →California guideAll jobs in San Francisco
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
Places within 50 miles (straight line) of San Francisco, CA that have a guide, with what living there costs. The last-but-one column divides a year of rent by the median pay of the closest occupation ($161,370 a year), an estimate, not this employer's pay.
| Place ⇅ | Distance from the job city ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ | Median home value ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Commute 45+ min ⇅ | Rent as % of occupation pay ⇅ | Open jobs there ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | 0 mi | $2,476 | $1,394,500 | $140,970 | 21.6% | 18.4% | Jobs |
| Daly City, CA | 31 mi | $2,551 | $1,115,000 | $123,547 | 19.6% | 19.0% | Jobs |
| Pacifica, CA | 31 mi | $3,098 | $1,249,800 | $160,523 | 15.5% | 23.0% | — |
| San Bruno, CA | 34 mi | $2,773 | $1,207,500 | $141,272 | 12.2% | 20.6% | — |
| Millbrae, CA | 36 mi | $3,272 | $1,934,900 | $163,476 | 21.8% | 24.3% | Jobs |
| Brisbane, CA | 36 mi | $2,574 | $1,232,200 | $156,169 | 29.8% | 19.1% | — |
| South San Francisco, CA | 36 mi | $2,802 | $1,188,800 | $136,578 | 15.2% | 20.8% | Jobs |
| Half Moon Bay, CA | 37 mi | $2,433 | $1,549,500 | $157,884 | 26.7% | 18.1% | — |
| Burlingame, CA | 38 mi | $2,785 | $2,000,001 | $174,000 | 23.1% | 20.7% | Jobs |
| Richmond, CA | 40 mi | $1,960 | $668,200 | $95,391 | 28.8% | 14.6% | — |
| San Mateo, CA | 41 mi | $3,077 | $1,618,700 | $153,504 | 15.8% | 22.9% | Jobs |
| Berkeley, CA | 41 mi | $2,133 | $1,413,900 | $108,092 | 20.8% | 15.9% | Jobs |
| Alameda, CA | 42 mi | $2,474 | $1,235,700 | $137,697 | 27.3% | 18.4% | Jobs |
| Belmont, CA | 43 mi | $2,875 | $2,000,001 | $205,297 | 18.6% | 21.4% | Jobs |
| Oakland, CA | 44 mi | $1,979 | $929,900 | $101,600 | 21.9% | 14.7% | Jobs |
| Foster City, CA | 44 mi | $3,501 | $1,838,200 | $199,143 | 20.6% | 26.0% | Jobs |
| San Carlos, CA | 45 mi | $2,854 | $2,000,001 | $237,470 | 14.9% | 21.2% | Jobs |
| Redwood City, CA | 47 mi | $2,968 | $1,801,700 | $157,814 | 10.2% | 22.1% | Jobs |
| San Leandro, CA | 48 mi | $2,186 | $844,200 | $101,420 | 23.7% | 16.3% | — |
| Atherton, CA | 49 mi | $3,501 | $2,000,001 | $250,001 | 7.0% | 26.0% | — |
Occupations close to Mechanical engineers in the official classification, with pay, outlook and whether there are open jobs for them on this site right now.
| Occupation ⇅ | National median pay ⇅ | Growth 2025–35 ⇅ | Openings a year (US) ⇅ | Open jobs here ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial engineers | $102,440 | +12.4% | 23,100 | 14 open |
| Engineers, all other | $122,930 | +3.7% | 8,800 | none right now |
How far San Francisco, CA is from the 20 largest US cities, in straight-line miles (not driving distance). Click a column to sort.
| From ⇅ | Straight-line distance (miles) ⇅ | Population of that city ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | 0 mi | 830,235 |
| San Jose, CA | 73 mi | 990,138 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 364 mi | 3,857,263 |
| San Diego, CA | 475 mi | 1,389,526 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 678 mi | 1,642,323 |
| Seattle, WA | 684 mi | 754,195 |
| Denver, CO | 986 mi | 718,877 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 1,420 mi | 697,125 |
| Fort Worth, TX | 1,484 mi | 963,194 |
| Dallas, TX | 1,515 mi | 1,307,930 |
| San Antonio, TX | 1,516 mi | 1,479,835 |
| Austin, TX | 1,530 mi | 979,539 |
| Houston, TX | 1,673 mi | 2,328,253 |
| Chicago, IL | 1,885 mi | 2,711,226 |
| Indianapolis, IN | 1,979 mi | 885,860 |
| Columbus, OH | 2,142 mi | 914,802 |
| Charlotte, NC | 2,332 mi | 903,844 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 2,403 mi | 977,670 |
| Philadelphia, PA | 2,550 mi | 1,579,706 |
| New York, NY | 2,602 mi | 8,483,844 |
| City ⇅ | Straight-line distance ⇅ | Open jobs ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Alameda, CA | 42 mi | 38 |
| Belmont, CA | 43 mi | 2 |
| Redwood City, CA | 47 mi | 45 |
| Palo Alto, CA | 54 mi | 298 |
| Sunnyvale, CA | 60 mi | 83 |
| Fremont, CA | 62 mi | 6 |
| Pleasanton, CA | 63 mi | 6 |
| Milpitas, CA | 66 mi | 2 |
| Campbell, CA | 67 mi | 7 |
| San Jose, CA | 73 mi | 698 |
| Capitola, CA | 79 mi | 1 |
| Sacramento, CA | 103 mi | 53 |
OpenAI is the employer in this listing. See all its open jobs here →
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A private-sector role in technology (cloud, it and infrastructure) listed 60 days ago. The full description is on this page and on the employer's page.
San Francisco, CA. A remote or flexible location is listed; confirm with the employer which states are accepted.
Use the "View this job and apply on the employer's page" button. AtiveSite does not receive applications.
The listing does not publish pay. For the closest occupation (Mechanical engineers) the national median is $104,110 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Median rent in San Francisco is $2,476 a month and median household income $140,970 (ACS 2020–2024).
It was posted on 2026-09-10 (60 days ago). Jobs older than 90 days are not shown.
Yes: browse cloud, it and infrastructure jobs in California.
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