About the job
About the Team
At OpenAI, we are pioneering the development of the most sophisticated AI infrastructure ecosystem in collaboration with our capital partners. Our dedicated team is responsible for shaping and implementing our core infrastructure strategy. From strategic site selection to comprehensive buildout, we operate at the crossroads of commercial interests, technical innovation, strategic planning, and operational excellence, working closely with both internal teams and external partners.
About the Role
We are on the lookout for a Datacenter Network Deployment Lead who will take charge of the complete execution of physical network deployments within data center environments. This role serves as a critical link between Network Engineering, Capacity Delivery/Construction, Data Center Engineering, and Operations to guarantee that our network infrastructure is properly installed, validated, and transitioned into a production-ready state. The NetDeploy Lead will oversee vendor execution, adhere to project delivery schedules, maintain quality standards, and address in-field issues while ensuring compliance with documented standards, ticketing protocols, cleanliness, and escalation procedures.
Key Responsibilities
Lead the entire lifecycle of physical network deployments for new projects, expansions, and refreshes.
Convert network topologies, cabling designs, and BOMs into actionable field plans and sequencing.
Supervise and/or coordinate the installation of network equipment (switches, OOB, and additional network systems).
Manage and/or coordinate fiber trunk pulls, routing, and termination to patch panels/equipment.
Oversee and/or coordinate the installation of patch panels, patching, labeling, and cable management.
Drive port-to-port verification, continuity testing, and validation sign-off processes.
Ensure that all work is performed in accordance with documented standards and runbooks (including tables, tickets, checklists, cleanliness, and escalation protocols).
Develop systems, processes, and tools to facilitate the deployment and ongoing maintenance of systems.
Source, assess, and manage vendors for structured cabling, JIT fiber remediation, rack-and-stack/patching teams, and testing/verification support.
Define project scope, create SOWs, validate pricing, and ensure contract compliance; monitor vendor performance against quality, throughput, safety, schedule, and documentation requirements; implement corrective actions when standards are not met.
Collaborate with Network Engineering to resolve field issues and deployment challenges (such as incorrect switch deliveries, component failures, or installation obstacles).
