At a Glance
- Tasks: Help startups transform software development with AI tools and hands-on engineering.
- Company: Join OpenAI, a leader in AI research and deployment.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, inclusive culture, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities to lead workshops and engage with the startup community.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by empowering developers and founders with cutting-edge AI technology.
- Qualifications: Experience with startups, strong coding skills, and excellent communication abilities.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
About the team
The Applied AI Engineering team works closely with frontier startups. We are trusted advisors to, and thought partners with, startups to ensure that OpenAI’s technology is deployed safely and effectively, whilst also partnering with engineering, research, and product to turn those insights into evaluation systems, product improvements, and better model behaviour. This team sits at the intersection of customer reality and model quality. We combine hands-on technical depth with strong product judgment, helping translate complex, high-value use cases into clear signals that can improve both the customer experience and the underlying systems.
About the Role
As an Applied AI Engineer focused on Codex for startups, you will help developers and founders transform how they build and ship software. You’ll combine hands-on engineering, startup experience, and compelling technical communication to help teams turn the potential of AI coding tools into practical, effective workflows. Presentations and community engagement are central to this role. You will engage developers and founders through technical talks, live demos, workshops, and programmes across the startup ecosystem, alongside targeted work with individual customers. You’ll build reusable tools and resources that extend your impact, and bring insights from developers back to OpenAI’s Product, Research, and Engineering teams. This role is well suited to someone who enjoys both hands-on building and sharing what they learn with others. You should be as excited to lead a room of developers, deliver an engaging presentation, and build relationships across the startup community as you are to explore a technical problem in code—with a focus on sustained adoption and meaningful improvements in how startups work.
In this role, you will:
- Partner with top startups to identify where Codex can have the greatest impact on how their teams build and ship software.
- Design and lead technical talks, live demos, workshops, hackathons, and repeatable hands-on programmes that turn initial interest into sustained adoption.
- Work directly with selected customers to build Codex workflows, integrations, and automations, resolve technical blockers, and evaluate effectiveness and reliability.
- Turn successful approaches into reusable code examples, guides, and tools that help more startups succeed with Codex and OpenAI’s broader platform.
- Collaborate with account teams, developer experience, and ecosystem partners to reach developers and founders, prioritise opportunities, and drive measurable customer value.
- Translate customer experiences and developer feedback into actionable insights for OpenAI’s Product, Research, and Engineering teams.
You’ll thrive in this role if you:
- Have experience building at, founding, or working closely with early‑stage startups, and understand the pace, ambiguity, and practical trade‑offs involved.
- Bring strong software engineering fundamentals and enjoy building practical AI applications, integrations, and developer tools.
- Are an active user of Codex or other AI coding tools, with a thoughtful perspective on how they can improve software development.
- Are a compelling communicator who enjoys presenting, delivering live demos, and leading hands‑on workshops for developers and founders.
- Have a talent for turning complex technical ideas into clear explanations, engaging examples, and reusable resources that help others succeed.
- Combine developer empathy with sound technical judgment: you can uncover what a team needs, troubleshoot problems, and help them adopt effective, reliable workflows.
- Bring high agency, curiosity, and end‑to‑end ownership, working independently while collaborating closely with colleagues and ecosystem partners.
About OpenAI
OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general‑purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We push the boundaries of the capabilities of AI systems and seek to safely deploy them to the world through our products. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core, and to achieve our mission, we must encompass and value the many different perspectives, voices, and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic.
Applied AI Engineer, Startups (Codex) in City of London employer: OpenAI, Inc.
OpenAI is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in the heart of London that fosters innovation and collaboration. With a strong emphasis on employee growth, we provide ample opportunities for professional development and hands-on execution in a hybrid model that promotes work-life balance. Our culture encourages creativity and strategic thinking, making it an ideal place for those looking to make a meaningful impact in the tech industry.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Applied AI Engineer, Startups (Codex) in City of London
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at OpenAI, Inc. or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to OpenAI, Inc..
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like OpenAI, Inc..
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like OpenAI, Inc. that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Applied AI Engineer, Startups (Codex) in City of London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at OpenAI, Inc..
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at OpenAI, Inc. and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at OpenAI, Inc.
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If OpenAI, Inc. uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
