Component and Product Quality Engineer, Interconnects

About the Team

OpenAI’s Hardware organization develops silicon and system-level solutions designed for the unique demands of advanced AI workloads. The team is responsible for building the next generation of AI-native silicon while working closely with software and research partners to co-design hardware tightly integrated with AI models. In addition to delivering production-grade silicon for OpenAI’s supercomputing infrastructure, the team also creates custom design tools and methodologies that accelerate innovation and enable hardware optimized specifically for AI.

About the Role

OpenAI's Hardware organization builds supercompute platforms from silicon and boards to full rack-scale systems to power advanced AI workloads. This role owns end-to-end quality for high-speed interconnect hardware across the product lifecycle: early design influence, supplier/contract manufacturer readiness, qualification, ramp, and fleet quality in lab and data center environments.

You will be the quality lead for advanced interconnect components and assemblies, including high-speed copper cables, cable cartridges, patch panels, backplane/cable-backplane solutions, high-speed connectors, and related electro-mechanical interfaces. You will partner closely with electrical, mechanical, SI/PI, systems, reliability, operations, and external vendors to prevent escapes and drive rapid, data-driven containment and corrective action.

In this role you will:

- Own quality for advanced interconnect components and assemblies: high-speed connectors, high-speed copper cables, cable cartridges (e.g., ultra-pass / cable cassette style assemblies), patch panels & optics, and backplane/cable-backplane interconnect solutions.

- Drive quality-by-design: participate in design reviews, DFM/DFx, tolerance stacks, material and plating selections, connector mating strategy, strain relief, and assembly methods to reduce variation and field failures.

- Define and track quality and reliability metrics (DPPM, yield, escapes, RMA/FRACAS trends, Cpk/Ppk where applicable) for interconnects across NPI and mass production.

- Build and execute qualification strategies for cables/connectors/patch panels (mechanical, environmental, electrical, and reliability), including test coverage, sample plans, clear pass/fail criteria, defining installation criteria and processes, optics termination quality management and setting fiber standards criteria.

- Partner with engineering and operations to drive smooth ramp: risk assessments, pilot build learnings, change control, and readiness reviews (EVT/DVT/PVT/MP or equivalent phases).

- Own supplier and CM performance management: scorecards, audits (process and quality system), and follow-up to close findings with verified effectiveness

- Work with suppliers to improve manufacturing throughput, stability, and yields for cable and connector assembly processes (e.g., wire prep, welding/crimping, overmolding/injection molding, plating, and assembly f