Head of Systems Operations at OpenAI — task breakdown

Head of Systems Operations | OpenAI Careers ## Head of Systems Operations IT - San Francisco Apply now(opens in a new window) **About the Team** The Employee Technology Experience (ETX) team is responsible for delivering a world-class internal technology experience that enables employees to do their best work. We support and operate the employee-facing systems that keep the company moving quickly and efficiently. Within ETX, the SysOps team sits at the center of critical internal platforms and operational workflows. The team owns a broad portfolio spanning identity systems, endpoint management, SaaS administration, infrastructure automation, enterprise tooling, and internal technical operations. We partner closely with Security, Engineering, Workplace, Finance, People and other cross-functional teams to ensure internal technology is fast, reliable, and scalable. We are focused on building modern internal operations through automation, self-service, and AI-enabled workflows that reduce friction and create leverage across the company. **About the Role** We are hiring a Head of System Operations to lead a high-impact technical operations organization. This leader will be responsible for running the SysOps team, creating clarity across a broad remit, improving operational performance, architecture and building the future of how internal systems are delivered in the age of AI. This role requires a strong operator who can organize complex work, set priorities, drive accountability, and continuously improve how the team functions. You will serve as the connective tissue across multiple technology domains while ensuring the team is focused on the highest-impact work. You should be equally comfortable leading people, improving operational processes, and engaging deeply with technical systems. The role is ideal for someone who combines technical breadth with strong execution and a builder mindset. **You’ll be responsible for:** * Leading and developing a high-performing System Operations team with clear ownership and accountability. * Setting priorities across a broad portfolio of operational and technical work to ensure focus. * Driving team effectiveness through strong operational rhythms, metrics, capacity planning, and execution discipline. * Driving automation, self-service, and AI-enabled workflows that reduce manual work, eliminate delays, improve employee experience, and scale operations across identity, endpoint, SaaS, and internal systems. * Overseeing the operation of core internal technology domains including identity systems, endpoint management, enterprise applications, and systems automation, with ownership of Entra ID architecture, lifecycle automation, access governance, and privileged access. * Ensuring internal technology operations meet security, audit, and control requirements through reliable processes and disciplined execution, supported by clear standards, version-controlled configuration, and measurable reliability. * Partnering cross-functionally to deliver scalable solutions for company growth, onboarding, integrations, and changing business needs. * Continuously improving the speed, quality, and reliability of technology services, while driving Terraform standards, reducing configuration drift, and raising the engineering bar. **We’re looking for someone with:** * Experience leading systems engineering, enterprise technology, IT operations, or platform operations at scale. * Strong people leadership skills with a track record of building effective teams and raising performance standards. * Proven ability to run complex operational environments with clear prioritization and measurable results. * Technical depth across several areas such as identity platforms, endpoint management, SaaS administration, automation, infrastructure, or enterprise tooling. * Experience building durable processes that balances speed control, and high-quality user outcomes. *

Head of Systems Operations

Classified Tasks (16)

Augment (12)

Human-Only (4)

Job description