openai - Network Infrastructure Engineer, Global Network Infra (WAN)

• Design, deploy, and support WAN infrastructure across data centers, network PoPs, and cloud connectivity environments. • Own the end-to-end activation and turn-up of network circuits, working directly with fiber carriers and cloud service providers to establish and validate connectivity. • Troubleshoot complex network issues across physical, Layer 2, and Layer 3 infrastructure, including optical signal problems, FEC errors, routing issues, and connectivity failures. • Diagnose and isolate network failures across carrier, cloud provider, and internal infrastructure boundaries, driving issues through resolution. • Contribute to physical network infrastructure design, including port mappings, fiber and cable layouts, optical distribution frames (ODFs), and connectivity planning. • Monitor network health, circuit utilization, and performance to proactively identify capacity constraints and reliability risks. • Build automation and tooling to streamline network provisioning, deployment validation, troubleshooting, and operational workflows. • Collaborate with network engineering, data center infrastructure, and external service providers to support the expansion of OpenAI's global backbone. • Participate in an on-call rotation to maintain the reliability and availability of critical network infrastructure. • Have hands-on experience deploying, activating, and troubleshooting WAN circuits with telecommunications carriers, fiber providers, or cloud service providers. • Have a strong understanding of networking fundamentals, including optical networking, Ethernet, TCP/IP, BGP, and Layer 2/3 connectivity. • Are comfortable debugging network issues across multiple layers, from physical fiber connectivity and optical errors to routing and traffic forwarding. • Have experience working with data center networking, carrier infrastructure, cloud interconnects, or large-scale WAN environments. • Understand physical network infrastructure concepts such as fiber cabling, port mappings, optical distribution frames, and network equipment connectivity. • Can independently investigate ambiguous connectivity problems, isolate root causes, and work across internal and external teams to restore service. • Have experience with scripting or automation tools and are motivated to reduce manual work through repeatable, scalable processes. • Enjoy working directly with infrastructure and take pride in owning technical problems from initial deployment through operational resolution. • Thrive in a fast-moving environment where infrastructure requirements evolve rapidly and engineering decisions have a direct impact on global scale.