Deal Lead, Special Situations Job at OpenAI (San Francisco)

Job Description

We’re hiring a Deal Lead, Special Situations to stand up new vertical bets across financial services, life sciences, semiconductors, and energy. You will research industries you know deeply, identify where AI can create step-change value, originate and shape multi-project programs with FDEs and applied researchers, package them into compelling technical and commercial proposals, and execute creative, complex partnerships—while keeping executives and cross-functional teams tightly aligned. Special Situations owns the overall success of each program, including commercial outcomes, while functional teams own execution decisions within their domains.

Job Responsibility

Identify and size high-value opportunities within financial services, life sciences, semiconductors, and energy, translating industry pain points into concrete AI-driven commercial theses
Map the partnership and competitive landscape in your vertical and design differentiated partnership strategies that OpenAI can win and scale
Work with FDEs and applied researchers to design multi-project programs that combine models, tooling, data, and services into outcomes customers will pay for
Define use cases, scope, sequencing, and success metrics that turn ambiguous opportunities into executable programs
Create the technical and commercial narratives (decks, demos, proposals, and deal memos) that align customers, executives, and internal teams around a single plan
Structure and negotiate non-standard partnerships, including revenue share, royalties, and bespoke commercial terms, through contract signature
Drive executive-level alignment and decision-making on tradeoffs, resourcing, and risk

Requirements

15+ years in business development, partnerships, corporate development, private equity or founding roles where you personally drove and closed complex, high-dollar deals from concept through delivery
Deep domain experience in financial services, life sciences, semiconductors, or energy, including an understanding of how large enterprises in those sectors buy, partner, and deploy technology
Can take a vague opportunity and turn it into a clear commercial thesis that customers, executives, and technical teams can buy into and commit budget against
Excel at building and closing non-standard deals that combine product, services, and long-term strategic value rather than off-the-shelf SKUs
Know how to navigate large, sophisticated buyers, align multiple stakeholders, and keep deals moving when no one has full authority or clarity
Strengthen decisions by framing commercial and technical trade-offs early so partners and OpenAI leadership can commit with confidence
Maintain momentum as scope, pricing, risk, and partnership structures evolve
Create structure and accountability across cross-functional teams so that deals actually convert into delivered outcomes
Deliver results without waiting for perfect information, adjusting the commercial and execution path as reality changes
Represent OpenAI with credibility and executive presence in customer and partner settings, from first conversation through long-term partnership

What we offer

Medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family, with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts
Pre-tax accounts for Health FSA, Dependent Care FSA, and commuter expenses (parking and transit)
401(k) retirement plan with employer match
Paid parental leave (up to 24 weeks for birth parents and 20 weeks for non-birthing parents), plus paid medical and caregiver leave (up to 8 weeks)
Paid time off: flexible PTO for exempt employees and up to 15 days annually for non-exempt employees
13+ paid company holidays, and multiple paid coordinated company office closures throughout the year for focus and recharge, plus paid sick or safe time (1 hour per 30 hours worked, or more, as required by applicable state or local law)
Mental health and wellness support
Employer-paid basic life and disability coverage
Annual learning and development stipend to fuel your professional growth
Daily meals in our offices, and meal delivery credits as eligible
Relocation support for eligible employees
Additional taxable fringe benefits, such as charitable donation matching and wellness stipends

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Deal Lead, Special Situations

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