Technical Deployment Lead - Sydney

OpenaiOpenai·Remote(Sydney, Australia)
Other
Excel

WFA Digital Insight

With the rise of AI and machine learning, demand for experts in technical deployment has surged, growing over 25% in the past year. Openai, a pioneer in AI research, is seeking a seasoned Technical Deployment Lead to spearhead the delivery of complex systems to customers in Sydney. As the remote job market continues to evolve, skills like project management, technical fluency, and customer collaboration are in high demand. Candidates should be prepared to showcase their expertise in AI/LLM systems and ability to navigate high-ambiguity environments. Before applying, consider the unique challenges and opportunities presented by this high-autonomy role and how your skills align with Openai's mission.

Job Description

About the Role

The Technical Deployment Lead role is a founding position in Openai's Sydney office, focused on defining and delivering complex AI systems to customers. This role operates at the intersection of customer delivery and core platform development, requiring a deep understanding of technical project management, customer workflows, and AI/LLM systems. As a Technical Deployment Lead, you will own the delivery end-to-end, from embedding with customers to map workflows and success criteria to ensuring components ship on time and leading readiness and change management for adoption.

The Forward Deployed Engineering team at Openai partners with customers to turn research breakthroughs into production systems. As a key member of this team, you will collaborate with customers, researchers, and engineers to deliver measurable value against customer goals. Your expertise in technical project management, customer collaboration, and AI/LLM systems will be essential in driving adoption and ensuring delivery reliability.

What You Will Do

  • Own the technical delivery plan for multiple interdependent work streams, translating business objectives into a roadmap with milestones, dependencies, and acceptance criteria.
  • Run day-to-day engineering execution, tracking and driving delivery across Openai FDE and customer teams, and keeping progress unblocked and sequenced.
  • Embed with customer teams to land production deployments and drive adoption, mapping workflows, shaping tools/integrations, and translating requirements into a delivery plan.
  • Partner with Product and Research to ensure platform components and research workstreams land in time to support deployment goals.
  • Codify solution patterns and evaluations, extracting reusable patterns and packaging field signals to improve product and models.
  • Own value cases and ROI, setting impact hypotheses, baselines, and KPIs, and running pre-/post-deployment measurement and reporting to exec sponsors.
  • Track progress, manage dependencies, make sequencing decisions, and drive 0→1 prototypes through MVP and scale.
  • Share field insights with Product and Research to guide roadmap and priorities.

What We Are Looking For

  • 7+ years of customer-facing technical delivery leadership experience, with a track record of successfully leading large, complex, high-stakes customer engagements.
  • Experience with AI/LLM systems, including solution patterns, integration basics, and production pitfalls.
  • Strong technical fluency, with the ability to discuss technical details, pressure-test architectures, and make trade-offs.
  • Ability to move fluidly between system-level understanding and execution-level detail, diving into customer workflows/data, mapping constraints, sketching architectures, and moving ambiguous problems to shipped systems.
  • Strategic thinking and pattern-matching skills, able to step back from execution detail, recognize broader trends across deployments, and connect customer needs to scalable, reusable solutions.
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with experience partnering with customer teams, researchers, and engineers.
  • Ability to excel in high-ambiguity environments, simplifying complex and dynamic work.

Nice to Have

  • Experience with Excel, with the ability to track and analyze data, identify trends, and create reports.
  • Knowledge of agile development methodologies and version control systems.
  • Experience with cloud-based technologies and DevOps practices.

Benefits and Perks

  • Opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI/LLM systems and deliver measurable value to customers.
  • Collaborative and dynamic work environment, with a team of experienced engineers and researchers.
  • Flexible working arrangements, including remote work options and a hybrid model of 3 days in office.
  • Relocation assistance for candidates moving to Sydney.
  • Access to professional development opportunities, including training and conference attendance.
  • Competitive compensation package, including salary, equity, and benefits.
  • Health and wellness programs, including mental health support and fitness classes.

How to Stand Out

  • Tip: Showcase your experience with AI/LLM systems, highlighting specific projects and outcomes.
  • Tip: Emphasize your technical fluency, including your ability to discuss technical details and make trade-offs.
  • Tip: Prepare to discuss your approach to customer collaboration, including how you embed with customer teams and drive adoption.
  • Tip: Highlight your experience with technical project management, including your ability to track progress, manage dependencies, and make sequencing decisions.
  • Tip: Be prepared to discuss your experience with agile development methodologies and version control systems.
  • Tip: Research Openai's mission and values, and be prepared to discuss how your skills and experience align with the company's goals.

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