What are the responsibilities and job description for the Special Projects Lead position at OpenAI?
About the Team
The Special Projects team is dedicated to tackling high-priority initiatives that span across strategic initiatives, pricing, partnerships, revenue strategy, and major business and product priorities. Working closely with the COO and business leadership, this team plays a pivotal role in advancing OpenAI’s highest priority projects. To thrive in this team, you need to be a proactive problem-solver who excels at bringing structure to ambiguous challenges. Our work demands strategic thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and precision in execution. Team members succeed when they are analytical, detail-oriented, skilled at balancing multiple priorities, and passionate about driving high-stakes projects forward to deliver meaningful results.
About the Role
We are hiring a Special Projects Lead with a focus on pricing and partnerships to join our dynamic team. In this role, you will drive critical initiatives that shape our pricing strategy and operationalize strategic partnerships. Additionally, you will serve as a key resource for the business leadership team, helping to manage and execute the highest-priority projects within each quarter. These initiatives are diverse, often ambiguous, and demand a balance of strategic insight, operational rigor, and clear communication.
Success in this role hinges on your ability to navigate complexity, bring clarity to cross-functional projects, and deliver tangible results. You will collaborate with stakeholders across the organization, secure alignment, and ensure projects are completed efficiently and effectively.
This role is based in our San Francisco HQ. We operate on a hybrid work model with three days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance.
In this role, you will :
Take end-to-end ownership of high-priority special projects, focusing on pricing and partnership initiatives.
Partner closely with the COO and business leadership to prioritize and manage quarterly strategic initiatives. These may include cross-functional projects, operational improvements, or exploratory efforts into new business opportunities.
Lead the development and refinement of pricing strategies across our product suite, ensuring competitive positioning and sustainable growth.
Support deal negotiation and operationalization of strategic partnerships, collaborating with external and internal stakeholders to ensure success.
Analyze complex business challenges and craft actionable, data-driven recommendations to guide decision-making.
Drive efficiency and clarity in how leadership’s top priorities are scoped, executed, and communicated across the organization.
You might thrive in this role if you :
Have 5 years of experience in business operations, strategy, venture capital, private equity, or consulting, with at least 2 years operating within a company.
Bring a track record of end-to-end ownership of large, ambiguous projects, breaking them down into actionable plans and delivering results.
Excel in deal-oriented roles, with experience structuring and managing partnerships or pricing strategies.
Are a strong communicator, able to influence stakeholders across different levels of seniority and functions.
Are highly analytical, with a sophisticated approach to modeling and data-driven problem-solving. Familiarity with SQL is a plus.
Can operate effectively at all altitudes – working on strategy and vision with executives while troubleshooting operational details with individual contributors.
Have excellent cross-functional collaboration skills and a proven ability to build trust and drive alignment.
Are passionate about technology and artificial intelligence, and interested in their impact on business and society.
