# Hardware Strategic Sourcing Manager, Optics at OpenAI

- Company: OpenAI
- What the company does: Backed by Greylock, Insight and Khosla.
- Company website: https://openai.com/
- Type: Startups (AI role)
- Level: Senior
- Location: San Francisco
- Work setup: On-site
- Pay: $226K to $378K base salary per year (USD)
- Posted: 2026-09-11
- Apply by: 2026-10-26
- Apply: https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/openai/23014bc8-37d4-4fd9-9a77-d95fdd33437f
- Page: https://www.1752.vc/careers/jobs/openai-hardware-strategic-sourcing-manager-optics/

## About the role

We’re seeking an experienced Hardware Strategic Sourcing Manager to own sourcing strategy and supplier partnerships for fiber and optical interconnect components across OpenAI’s next-generation AI infrastructure.

## What they're looking for

- Experience evaluating optical and interconnect suppliers against technical requirements such as bandwidth, insertion loss, signal integrity, reliability, thermal performance, power, quality, manufacturability, and production readiness
- Understanding of the technical and supply-chain challenges associated with scaling high-speed optical connectivity in AI, hyperscale data-center, or high-performance computing environments
- A proven track record of leading competitive sourcing processes, negotiating complex commercial agreements, and building long-term supplier partnerships
- Expertise in should-cost modeling, open-book pricing, total cost of ownership, supplier cost structures, and commercial optimization for hardware components and assemblies
- Experience securing supplier capacity and managing supply constraints across complex, multi-tier global supply chains
- Experience supporting supplier qualification, product development, manufacturing readiness, program bring-up, production ramp, and ongoing supplier performance management

Tags: Scaling