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60 Openai Research Program Manager Jobs Hiring Near You

OpenAI

Program Manager, Alignment

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$162K - $240K/yr

Research Program Manager, Alignment About the Team OpenAI's Alignment team works to ensure that increasingly capable AI systems reliably follow human intent, avoid catastrophic behavior, and remain ...

OpenAI

Program Manager, Alignment

San Francisco, CA · Hybrid

Research Program Manager, Alignment About the Team OpenAI's Alignment team works to ensure that increasingly capable AI systems reliably follow human intent, avoid catastrophic behavior, and remain ...

OpenAI

Software Engineer, Compute - Storage

New York, NY · On-site

$230K - $385K/yr

... that manage how data is placed, moved, and retained over time. Our stack spans cloud and in-house ... About the Role You will help build the storage platform that powers OpenAI's research and ...

OpenAI

Software Engineer, Compute - Storage

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$230K - $385K/yr

... that manage how data is placed, moved, and retained over time. Our stack spans cloud and in-house ... About the Role You will help build the storage platform that powers OpenAI's research and ...

OpenAI

Program Manager, Safety

San Francisco, CA · Hybrid

$162K - $240K/yr

Safety Systems is in need of a Safety Program Manager to streamline our safety review process. This ... Compensation Range : $162K - $240K USD About OpenAI OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company ...

OpenAI

Program Manager, Safety

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$162K - $240K/yr

Safety Systems is in need of a Safety Program Manager to streamline our safety review process. This ... Compensation Range : $162K - $240K USD About OpenAI OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company ...

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What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Research Program Manager, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Research Program Manager, you need expertise in project management, research methodologies, and a relevant academic background such as a master's or PhD in a related field. Familiarity with project management tools (like Asana or Microsoft Project), research compliance systems, and data analysis software is typically required. Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills help you coordinate teams and manage stakeholder expectations effectively. These competencies ensure research projects are completed on time, within budget, and according to rigorous academic or industry standards.

How does a Research Program Manager typically collaborate with principal investigators and research teams?

A Research Program Manager plays a central role in coordinating between principal investigators, research staff, and administrative personnel. They facilitate regular meetings, ensure project milestones are met, and help resolve any logistical or resource challenges that arise. By managing timelines, budgets, and compliance requirements, they act as a bridge to keep all team members aligned and informed. This collaborative approach not only streamlines communication but also supports successful grant submissions and project outcomes.

What is a Research Program Manager?

A Research Program Manager oversees the planning, execution, and completion of research projects within an organization or academic setting. They coordinate between researchers, stakeholders, and administrative teams to ensure projects meet objectives, stay within budget, and follow timelines. Their responsibilities often include managing resources, monitoring progress, facilitating communication, and ensuring compliance with ethical and regulatory requirements. Research Program Managers play a critical role in translating research goals into actionable plans and successful outcomes.

What is the difference between Research Program Manager vs Research Coordinator?

AspectResearch Program ManagerResearch Coordinator
CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in relevant field; experience in research managementBachelor's degree; often entry-level or related experience
Work EnvironmentOversees multiple projects, manages teams, liaises with stakeholdersSupports research activities, manages data collection, assists with study logistics
Employer & Industry UsageUniversities, research institutes, biotech companiesAcademic institutions, clinical research organizations, hospitals
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding managerial roles in research projectsEntry-level research support roles

The Research Program Manager typically oversees multiple research projects, manages teams, and coordinates with stakeholders, requiring more experience and advanced credentials. In contrast, Research Coordinators focus on supporting research activities, managing data collection, and assisting with logistics, often at an entry-level. Both roles are essential in research settings but differ in scope, responsibilities, and experience requirements.

What are the most popular jobs at Openai?
What are the most popular categories at Openai?
Infographic showing various Research Program Manager job openings at Openai in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 68% Physical, 25% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution.
Program Manager, Alignment

Program Manager, Alignment

OpenAI

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$162K - $240K/yr

Full-time

Posted 11 days ago

Job description

Research Program Manager, Alignment
About the Team
OpenAI's Alignment team works to ensure that increasingly capable AI systems reliably follow human intent, avoid catastrophic behavior, and remain controllable, auditable, and safe as capabilities scale. The team is fast-moving: priorities change as evidence, risks, and organizational needs change. We need people who can help execute important alignment and safety priorities that don't otherwise have an owner.
About the Role
We are looking for a Research Program Manager for the Alignment team. You should expect to move between big, ambiguous questions and very concrete execution: writing a crisp project plan, tracking owners, chasing a decision, running a process, organizing a meeting, helping unblock a researcher, or picking up the operational work nobody else has time to do.
OpenAI is a continuously evolving place, and this role will evolve with it. Some projects will be highly visible and strategic; others will be small, practical, or unglamorous. The common thread is doing whatever needs to be done in service of alignment/safety at OpenAI. If you want a role where no work is below you but where scope can expand quickly, and where good judgment and follow-through matter as much as title or function, this may be a strong fit.
This role is based in San Francisco, CA. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees.
In this role, you will:
  • Own 2-4 ambiguous alignment special projects at a time, from problem definition through execution and follow-through.
  • Turn fuzzy goals into clear plans, milestones, owners, decision points, and operating rhythms.
  • Drive practical execution across research, engineering, policy, product, legal, communications, recruiting, and external collaborators as needed.
  • Create and maintain lightweight systems that help alignment work scale, such as project trackers, decision memos, operating processes, review loops, and recurring coordination forums.
  • Synthesize technical and organizational context into clear written artifacts that help leaders and researchers make decisions quickly.
  • Map the alignment and AI safety community: understand who is working on what, what people care about, where OpenAI can help, and which collaborations are worth pursuing.
  • Run internal or external programs when they matter for alignment, including events, fellowships, publishing workflows, community programs, research collaborations, and governance processes.
  • Do the small work that makes the big work possible: schedule the meeting, write the first draft, clean up the tracker, follow up on the loose end, and make sure the thing actually ships.

You might thrive in this role if you:
  • Have 4+ years of experience in research program management, technical program management, operations, chief-of-staff work, partnerships, recruiting, or related roles in fast-moving environments.
  • Can take a loosely scoped problem, figure out what matters, decide what needs to happen next, and drive it without waiting for detailed instructions.
  • Are low-ego and execution-oriented: you are equally willing to shape a strategy, write the memo, run the meeting, and handle the logistics.
  • Write clearly and concisely, especially when translating messy technical or organizational context into decision-ready documents.
  • Can build trust with researchers and technical teams while also keeping work moving across operational and cross-functional partners.
  • Are comfortable with ambiguity, confidentiality, changing priorities, and holding several workstreams in your head at once.
  • Have familiarity with the AI safety or alignment ecosystem, or can get up to speed quickly enough to know who to talk to and what the community cares about.

Strong candidates may also have:
  • Experience working directly with AI safety, machine learning, or research teams.
  • Experience building a new program, process, community effort, or function from scratch.
  • Experience with fellowships, research communities, external collaborations, technical governance, evaluations, monitoring, or safety review processes.

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.
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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.

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