Corporate Development, Deal Lead

OpenAI • San Francisco, CA

41d

About The Position

The Corporate Development team sits at the intersection of OpenAI’s strategy and the global AI ecosystem. Partnering closely with engineering, product, and business leaders, we analyze markets, technologies, and companies to identify opportunities that accelerate OpenAI’s mission and long-term strategy. Bringing together expertise in strategy, M&A, and integration, the team leads the end-to-end process of sourcing, evaluating, negotiating, and integrating acquisitions and other strategic transactions.
The Corporate Development Deal Lead supports the full lifecycle of M&A and strategic investment transactions, from proactive sourcing through diligence, structuring, negotiation, and closing. This role partners closely with Product, Engineering, Legal, Finance, and executive leadership to evaluate opportunities, assess strategic and product fit, and determine financial and operational impact.

Requirements

• Have 5+ years of experience leading M&A or strategic transactions from start to finish — either in corporate development, private equity, investment banking, or venture investing.
• Combine strong analytical skills with commercial judgment and strategic insight.
• Are comfortable managing ambiguity, building process in a fast-moving environment, and operating with high ownership.
• Communicate clearly and persuasively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Are excited to help build and shape the corp dev function at a mission-driven AI company.

Responsibilities

• Support end-to-end execution of corporate development transactions, including sourcing, diligence, structuring, negotiation, and closing.
• Evaluate strategic fit, product alignment, and financial impact of potential M&A or investment opportunities.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with product, engineering, legal, finance, and executive leadership to evaluate and advance deals.
• Build financial models, commercial cases, and decision-making frameworks for executive stakeholders.
• Prepare and present deal materials to senior leaders and the board.
• Contribute to pipeline development and ongoing refinement of our deal process and strategy.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees