About this role
About the Team
OpenAI’s Industrial Compute organization is building the infrastructure required to support the next generation of AI at unprecedented scale. Through a combination of strategic partnerships and self-built campuses, we are developing and operating large-scale data center infrastructure across power, cooling, networking, compute, construction, and site operations.
The scale and complexity of this infrastructure introduces a broad range of environmental, health, and safety considerations across site development, design, construction, equipment deployment, commissioning, and ongoing operations. EHS is a critical part of how we build infrastructure that is safe, resilient, compliant, and capable of operating at scale.
About the Role
We are seeking an EHS Lead to establish and drive environmental, health, and safety strategy across OpenAI’s rapidly expanding compute infrastructure portfolio.
This role will develop the EHS framework for large-scale data center development and operations, partnering closely with engineering, construction, infrastructure delivery, facilities, operations, security, legal, environmental, and external development partners. The EHS Lead will help ensure that safety and environmental considerations are embedded into projects from early design and site development through construction, commissioning, and operations.
The role will establish standards and operating mechanisms, assess and mitigate risks, oversee EHS performance across internal teams and third-party partners, and provide technical leadership on complex or high-consequence safety issues. Success requires the ability to operate strategically while maintaining strong technical depth and executional rigor in fast-moving, highly complex infrastructure environments.
In this role, you will:
- Develop and own EHS strategy, standards, programs, and operating mechanisms across OpenAI’s data center and compute infrastructure portfolio.
- Establish scalable EHS requirements for site development, design, construction, commissioning, equipment installation, and ongoing data center operations.
- Partner with engineering and infrastructure delivery teams to identify and mitigate EHS risks during site selection, design development, construction planning, and project execution.
- Develop risk assessment frameworks for high-hazard activities and environments, including electrical systems, high-voltage infrastructure, construction activities, lifting and rigging, energized work, confined spaces, hazardous materials, fire protection, industrial equipment, and commissioning activities.
- Establish EHS requirements and performance expectations for developers, general contractors, engineering firms, equipment vendors, and other external partners.
- Build mechanisms for measuring EHS performance, including leading and lagging indicators, audits, inspections, incident reporting, corrective actions, and executive reporting.
- Lead investigations of signifi