Hot job alert: OpenAI is hiring an investment banker, paying up to $205K plus equity

• OpenAI wants a subject matter expert in investment banking.
• The job pays up to $205,000 plus potential equity.
• The posting shows how OpenAI wants to continue to make inroads in a lucrative enterprise space.

OpenAI is making a bigger play for investment banking.

The AI company is seeking someone with two or more years of investment experience to join its Applied AI team in San Francisco as a "subject matter expert."

"You will bring deep, current knowledge of how investment banking work is actually performed, including company and industry research, financial analysis and modeling, valuation, diligence, transaction execution, and the creation and review of client materials," the company wrote in its description of the role.

Base pay starts at $185,000 a year and can go up to $205,000 with equity offers on top of the salary. OpenAI announced last month that it had privately taken the first step toward a long-expected IPO, sweetening the pot of any potential equity offer.

The job will "define the quality bar for AI-assisted investment banking work," OpenAI wrote, making it clear that whoever takes the position will play a key role in evaluating the capabilities of future AI models.

"Work closely with product teams to identify the highest-value opportunities for AI in investment banking, prototype new workflows using OpenAI tools, and assess whether early experiences meet the needs of real users," the description reads.

As for experience, OpenAI is looking for someone with "live transaction execution and the production of high-quality analyses, financial models, and client materials" in addition to a clear understanding of every rung of the investment banking ladder.

"Understand how work and judgment evolve from junior analyst through director, and can identify where AI should automate execution, support decision-making, or remain subject to human review," the job description reads.

OpenAI's job search underscores the fierce competition among AI companies for a lucrative slice of the enterprise market.

In May, Anthropic announced 10 new agents to streamline Wall Street-type gruntwork. According to a presentation by the OpenAI rival, financial services is the second-largest industry by enterprise revenue, with tech still leading the way.

When OpenAI released GPT-5.5 in April, the company highlighted the AI model's knowledge work capabilities, including how internal teams were using it for financial-related tasks. OpenAI is ready to release GPT-5.6 widely, but has paused those plans at the Trump administration's behest.

Investment banks are already pouring billions into technology, with a focus largely on AI. As Business Insider previously reported, JPMorgan Chase, the largest US bank by assets, is spending $18 billion a year on technology with a central focus on AI. Goldman Sachs is spending $6 billion this year on technology alone.

Goldman has backed OpenAI's Deployment Company venture and was listed in April as a partner in building out OpenAI's Trusted Access for Cyber program.

OpenAI's program came on the heels of rival Anthropic's release of the Claude Mythos Preview to a select group of organizations as part of Project Glasswing. JPMorgan was an early partner in Anthropic's project, which has since expanded to more than 150 organizations across more than 15 countries.