People Operations Specialist

About the team

The People Operations group keeps the employee journey running smoothly at OpenAI, from onboarding through major organizational changes. The team supports core operational work such as employee mobility, mergers and acquisitions integrations, global expansion, audits and compliance, and process improvements that help the company scale. It is a fast-moving, detail-oriented environment where clarity, collaboration, and efficiency matter.

About the role

This position is for a proactive HR operations professional who can work across systems, compliance, and employee data management. A major focus of the role is maintaining accurate people data and running audits across the employee lifecycle, including Workday worker profile setup, job changes, one-time payments, and terminations.

You will also support ad hoc reporting and automated reconciliation work across large data sets. The role requires strong process mapping, operational design, and the ability to partner with engineering and systems teams to turn complex needs into scalable workflows. This position reports to the HR Ops Lead.

Key responsibilities

• Keep Workday records current and ensure company changes are reflected correctly, including open roles, new hire records, and internal moves.
• Handle questions from employees and cross-functional partners with a focus on accuracy, compliance, and fast resolution.
• Support global onboarding, including specialized requirements for executives and acquisition-related onboarding, while maintaining speed and data quality.
• Work closely with program owners and teams across systems, employment legal, compliance, recruiting operations, payroll, finance, HR business partners, IT, workplace operations, corporate security, and more.
• Connect different people processes so the full employee lifecycle operates as one coordinated system.
• Track experience-related metrics and take action to improve them.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration on major workstreams and change initiatives, using strong project management skills.
• Use AI and modern operations practices to automate repetitive administrative work and improve efficiency, accuracy, and the employee experience.

What you should bring

• At least 5 years of experience in HR or People Operations, ideally in a scaling company and in a role that required comfort with ambiguity.
• Strong hands-on experience with Workday and advanced spreadsheet analysis, including use of apps scripts.
• The ability to break down business processes into their core steps and identify root causes of issues or inefficiencies.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to simplify complex ideas for different audiences.
• Interest in building employee lifecycle processes that scale, especially through AI-enabled solutions.
• Very high attention to detail, strong rigor, and a deep commitment to quality.

Workplace and location

This role is based in San Francisco or New York City. Remote applications are not being considered right now. The company does, however, encourage candidates to apply even if they prefer fully remote work, since location needs may change in the future.

Relocation support is available for new hires. The working model is hybrid, with three days in the office each week and optional work from home on Thursdays and Fridays.

Office environment

The offices include height-adjustable desks, conference rooms, phone booths, stocked kitchens with snacks and drinks, three daily prepared meals, a private outdoor area, nap rooms, private bike storage, and other amenities.

About OpenAI

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company focused on making general-purpose artificial intelligence benefit everyone. The organization works to build and safely deploy AI systems while valuing a wide range of perspectives and experiences.

Equal opportunity and compliance

OpenAI is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other protected characteristics.

Background checks will be handled according to applicable law, and candidates with arrest or conviction records will be considered in line with relevant 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, the company believes criminal history may directly affect certain duties involving protection of computer hardware, return of company equipment, confidentiality of non-public information, and access to secure IT systems.

Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities.

Additional information

The posting references OpenAI’s Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement and its Global Applicant Privacy Policy. It also notes that reports about job posting compliance should be submitted through the specified form, and unrelated inquiries will not receive a response.

Compensation

The stated compensation range is $162K to $180K.