Principal, Export Controls

About the Team Tax and Trade at OpenAI shapes business strategy by embedding critical tax, export control, customs, and cross-border considerations into how the company builds, sources, scales, and operates in support of the mission. We combine deep expertise with practical systems thinking to look around corners, identify emerging risks and opportunities early, and help teams make smarter decisions at the point where strategy becomes execution. Across procurement, hardware operations, manufacturing, logistics, finance, legal, supplier onboarding, and operator workflows, we build robust, scalable support services leveraging cutting-edge technology—including governed AI and automation—to make complex regulated work more durable, more efficient, and easier to scale. About the Role We’re hiring a Senior Manager, Export Controls to lead OpenAI’s export controls strategy and operating model. This is a senior role with broad scope across advanced computing, semiconductors, software, hardware, manufacturing, and high technology partnerships. You will refine how OpenAI classifies controlled technology, software, and hardware, structures access-controlled environments, manages licensing and supplier commitments, and scales export-control operations in a way that supports the company’s pace of innovation. You will also shape how OpenAI applies AI and agentic workflows to policy-heavy operational work, building systems that make complex rules easier to navigate and easier to execute. In this role, you will: - Refine the strategy and operating model for OpenAI’s export controls program across advanced computing, semiconductors, software, hardware, manufacturing, and high technology partnerships. - Own export classification and licensing strategy for controlled technical data, software, hardware, and research environments. - Lead the design and operation of compliant controlled environments and related governance processes. - Partner with Research and Infrastructure to support efficient researcher access while maintaining clear control boundaries. - Partner with technical teams to develop durable classification and control models. - Partner cross-functionally to translate policy into documented technical controls, logging, evidence, access boundaries, and exception handling. - Lead supplier-facing compliance processes, including onboarding requirements, certifications, and relevant contractual controls. - Build and administer Technology Control Plan processes, including briefings, acknowledgements, operating materials, completion tracking, and escalation paths. - Develop service levels, metrics, and reporting that improve access velocity, supplier onboarding, and decision quality. - Build internal tooling and an AI- and agent-enabled operating model. You might thrive in this role if you: - A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience in engineering, computer science, physics, international trade, law, public policy, or a related field. Advanced technical, legal, or policy training is valuable. - Significant experience leading export controls, trade compliance, or a closely related function in advanced computing, semiconductors, electronics, or other high-technology domains. - Deep expertise in export controls, including classification, licensing, deemed exports, end-use and end-user restrictions, and controls on technical data and software. - Direct experience working on advanced computing and advanced semiconductor controls. - Strong leadership judgment and a track record of building and scaling programs in fast-moving technology companies and complex multinational environments. - Experience translating policy into workflows, systems requirements, service levels, operating guidance, and measurable business outcomes. - The ability to work credibly with researchers, infrastructure engineers, hardware engineers, chip-design teams, Security, and Legal. - Experience managing service providers, and cross-functional programs that requ…