At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and maintain physical security systems to protect OpenAI's people and infrastructure.
- Company: Join OpenAI, a leading AI research and deployment company with a mission for global benefit.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, inclusive culture, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative work environment with a focus on innovation and automation.
- Why this job: Be part of a dynamic team ensuring safety and reliability in cutting-edge environments.
- Qualifications: Experience in systems engineering and strong problem-solving skills required.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 65000 £ per year.
About the Team
The Physical Security Engineering team designs, deploys, and sustains the systems that protect OpenAI’s people, facilities, and critical infrastructure. We work across global office campuses, warehouses, labs and data centers, partnering with IT, Facilities, Construction, and Security Operations to ensure all environments meet stringent safety, reliability, and compliance requirements. Our team owns security architecture from early site due-diligence through construction, commissioning, and long-term lifecycle management.
About the Role
OpenAI’s physical security technology environment is growing quickly, and the Corporate Security Technology Group needs a hands-on systems engineer who can keep the stack stable, responsive, and scalable day to day. This role is a hybrid of physical security infrastructure engineering, operational systems support, stakeholder coordination, and vendor management. This person will support the systems that power OpenAI’s access control, video surveillance, GSOC workflows, and physical security operations. They will troubleshoot technical issues, manage operational tickets and escalations, coordinate remediation with integrators, support system programming and audits, and partner closely with IT/NetEng and Workplace to keep systems reliable as OpenAI expands.
In this role, you will:
- Troubleshoot complex physical security system issues across access control, video management, GSOC workflows, and supporting infrastructure.
- Manage operational tickets and escalations with strong follow-through, documentation, and root-cause thinking.
- Coordinate service requests, remediation work, and quality control with security integrators and vendors.
- Support GSOC workflows, including system access management, auditing, feature requests, and security systems programming.
- Partner with networking and infrastructure teams on VLANs, firewall policies, IP schemas, switch configurations, IoT device connectivity, Windows Server, and database dependencies.
- Improve operational consistency across offices by reducing manual work, documenting repeatable processes, and identifying automation opportunities.
What’s success?
Security Operations, GSOC, Workplace, IT, and CorpSec partners can rely on stable, accurate, and well-supported physical security systems. Issues are triaged quickly, escalations have clear ownership, vendors receive precise direction, and recurring problems turn into better documentation, process, or automation. The hire helps the team support rapid office growth without letting reliability or operational quality drift.
Non-negotiable outcomes:
- Physical security systems issues are handled with clear triage, strong technical reasoning, and complete follow-through.
- GSOC and Security Operations can depend on accurate access management, auditing, system programming, and support workflows.
- Integrator and vendor work is coordinated tightly, with clear accountability and reduced back-and-forth.
- Networking, server, database, and device dependencies are understood well enough to diagnose issues across the full stack.
- Operational toil and vendor dependency decrease through better documentation, process improvements, and automation opportunities.
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.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made via this link.
Physical Security Systems Engineer in London employer: OpenAI
OpenAI is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in London where innovation thrives. With a strong emphasis on employee growth, you will have access to cutting-edge technology and collaborative projects that foster professional development. The company's commitment to reliability and optimization in machine learning ensures that your contributions will have a meaningful impact in the field.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Physical Security Systems Engineer in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the industry, attend events, and connect with people on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! If you’ve got a portfolio or examples of past projects, bring them along to interviews. Demonstrating your hands-on experience with physical security systems can really set you apart from the crowd.
✨Tip Number 3
Be prepared to chat about real-world scenarios. Think through how you’d troubleshoot specific issues related to access control or video management. This shows you’re not just book-smart but also ready to tackle challenges head-on.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team at OpenAI.
We think you need these skills to ace Physical Security Systems Engineer in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience with physical security systems. We want to see how your skills align with the role, so don’t hold back on showcasing relevant projects or achievements!
Show Your Problem-Solving Skills:Since troubleshooting is a big part of this role, share examples of how you've tackled complex issues in the past. We love seeing candidates who can think critically and come up with effective solutions!
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it straightforward. Use clear language and avoid jargon unless it's relevant. We appreciate a well-structured application that gets straight to the point!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy to do!
How to prepare for a job interview at OpenAI
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the physical security systems relevant to the role. Brush up on access control, video management, and GSOC workflows. Being able to discuss specific technologies and how they integrate will show that you’re not just familiar but truly engaged with the field.
✨Demonstrate Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare to showcase your troubleshooting abilities. Think of examples where you’ve resolved complex issues in past roles. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers, highlighting your technical reasoning and follow-through.
✨Understand the Bigger Picture
Familiarise yourself with how physical security fits into the overall operations of a company like OpenAI. Be ready to discuss how you would coordinate with IT, Facilities, and Security Operations to ensure seamless integration and reliability of security systems.
✨Showcase Your Documentation Skills
Since operational consistency is key, be prepared to talk about your experience with documentation and process improvements. Share examples of how you’ve reduced manual work or identified automation opportunities in previous roles, as this aligns perfectly with what they’re looking for.
