L&D Specialist, Manager Development

About the Team The People Programs team at OpenAI plays a pivotal role in creating an environment where every employee can thrive, grow, and contribute to our mission of ensuring that AGI benefits all of humanity. This expanding team develops and executes human-first strategies and programs that support our rapid growth, unique culture, and innovative spirit. Our Coaching, Learning & Development team manages programs ranging from new employee onboarding, manager development, and learning systems used across OpenAI. About the Role We’re looking for a Manager Development Specialist to support manager development programming and coaching through strong program management and logistics at OpenAI. This role owns the end-to-end operations and systems that enable the smooth, scalable delivery of manager development programs at OpenAI. It supports virtual and in-person programs, manages learning systems and data, and helps scale impact through coaching operations, facilitation support, and manager-facing resources—partnering closely with L&D, HRBPs, Workplace, and external partners. Your Responsibilities: - Program Operations and Facilitation: Drive day-to-day logistics for manager development programs, including scheduling, communications, stakeholder coordination, and smooth execution across virtual and in-person formats; regularly facilitate live sessions.

• Systems & Data: Own program setup, enrollment, and tracking in our Learning Management System (Sana) to support accurate measurement, reporting, and scalable delivery of learning programs.
• Instructional Design: Contribute to the design and iteration of manager development programs using adult learning principles to meet evolving business needs as the organization scales.
• Coaching Operations: Manage intake, onboarding, scheduling, and tracking for coaching participants, cohorts, and timelines in partnership with HRBPs, leaders, and external coaching providers.
• Learning Content & Enablement: Create, maintain, and scale manager-facing resources—including async training, job aids, templates, toolkits, and intranet content—to reinforce learning beyond live programs.
• Team Support: Provide ad hoc program, facilitation, and operational support to the team as needed. We’re Seeking: - 5+ years of experience designing, managing, facilitating, and scaling learning or manager development programs in a fast-paced, high-growth environment, with exposure to complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.
• Strong end-to-end program ownership, including translating business needs into learning experiences, managing program workflows and systems, and ensuring high-quality delivery across manager and leadership programs.
• Experience leveraging learning systems and data (e.g., LMS platforms such as Sana or similar) to drive enrollment strategy, program sequencing, measurement, and continuous improvement—not just administration.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to balance strategic program thinking and hands-on execution, anticipate risks, and adapt programs in real time.
• Clear and influential communicator, comfortable partnering with L&D peers, HRBPs, leaders, facilitators, and external vendors to align on goals, expectations, and outcomes.
• Experience supporting and contributing to live learning experiences, including virtual and in-person sessions, with the ability to assist with facilitation, content iteration, or delivery as needed.
• Self-directed and proactive, with strong judgment and comfort operating in ambiguity while continuously improving program effectiveness and participant experience.
• Demonstrated experience supporting manager, leadership, or coaching programs—with an understanding of the unique challenges of manager capability-building—strongly preferred. Workplace & Location This role is based in our San Francisco office and we aren’t considering remote applications at this time. We offer relocation support to new employees, and we use a hybrid work model: three days in the office per week with optional work from home on Thursdays and Fridays. Our open-plan offices have height-adjustable desks, conference rooms, phone booths, well-stocked kitchens full of snacks and drinks, three in-house prepared meals daily, a private outdoor space for working in the sun or socializing, nap rooms, private bike storage, and more. 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,

• Develop a strong understanding of OpenAI's unique culture and values, and be prepared to provide examples of how you've supported manager development in fast-paced, innovative environments.
• Familiarize yourself with learning management systems and coaching platforms, such as Workday or LMS platforms, and be ready to discuss how you've managed logistics and operations for large-scale development programs.
• Create a portfolio that showcases your experience in designing and delivering manager development programs, including any relevant coaching or training materials, and be prepared to walk the interviewer through your design process and decisions.
• Research OpenAI's approach to AGI and its implications for leadership development, and come prepared to discuss how you would incorporate these considerations into your manager development programming and coaching strategies.
• Be prepared to provide specific examples of how you've measured the effectiveness of manager development programs and used data to inform future programming decisions, as OpenAI values data-driven approaches to learning and development.
• Prepare to discuss your experience with adult learning theory and how you apply it to create engaging, interactive, and scalable learning experiences for managers, and be ready to provide examples of how you've adapted your approach to meet the needs of diverse learner groups.