Project Manager, Design and Construction - R&D/Lab Buildouts

OpenAI•San Francisco, CA

14d•$205,000 - $225,000•Hybrid

About The Position

As an Industrial Builds Project Manager on the Design & Construction team, you will support OpenAI’s research, scaling, and manufacturing activities by providing project management and leadership on mission-critical construction projects with complex engineering design and extensive interfaces. You will own technical coordination across mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP), civil/structural, and architectural scopes, and be accountable for on-time, on-budget delivery of complex build-outs. The role is based in San Francisco, California, with regular travel to project sites as project requirements dictate. OpenAI uses a hybrid work model with three days per week in the office and offers relocation assistance to new employees.

Requirements

At least 8 years of experience delivering infrastructure projects in a fast-paced, hyper-scaling environment.
Background in architecture, interior design, or construction project management, with experience collaborating across engineering disciplines such as MEP, structural, and building systems.
Deep expertise in construction budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis, including communicating cost drivers to non-technical stakeholders.
Ability to build and leverage relationships with external vendors, consultants, general contractors, and internal teams, and drive accountability across disciplines.
Strong leadership, ownership, and collaboration skills, including the ability to align diverse teams around a unified project vision.
Collaborative, motivating approach to finding solutions rapidly.
Experience leading vendor management and contract administration, including sourcing, negotiating, and managing agreements for compliance, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with project goals.
Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation communication skills, including communicating with senior executives and high-level stakeholders.
Experience leading multiple concurrent projects across geographies and delivering on time, within budget, and to a high design standard.
Ability to thrive in a high-performance, fast-paced culture while managing multiple priorities and projects with attention to detail.
Ability to travel regularly to project sites in line with project requirements.

Responsibilities

Lead full lifecycle execution of multiple infrastructure and facilities build-out projects, including advanced compute facilities, labs, testing environments, and production spaces.
Own project estimating, budgeting, and financial analysis, including securing capital funding.
Engage, contract, and lead external partners such as architects, contractors, construction managers, and other consultants to deliver mission-critical projects on accelerated timelines.
Collaborate with internal teams, including Real Estate, Operations, Corporate Security, IT/AV, EH&S, stakeholder teams, and Finance.
Partner with Leasing on site selection, due diligence, and cost forecasting to support site acquisition.
Own relationships with internal clients and executives, driving engagement, alignment, and decision-making.
Develop and oversee technical due diligence, including technical assessments, authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) coordination, utility requirements, and feasibility studies.
Develop and review concept designs, defining programming aligned with stakeholders and guiding design development.
Review and contribute to design drawings, mechanical and electrical layouts, utility diagrams, specifications, and technical documentation.
Lead vendor management and contract administration, including sourcing, negotiating, and managing agreements.
Coordinate technical scopes across MEP, civil/structural, and architectural disciplines.
Manage multiple concurrent projects across geographies and deliver them on time, within budget, and to a high design standard.