SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
OpenAI's Industrial Security team is building secure, compliant programs to support government customers and classified work. As a Personnel Security Specialist, you will own day-to-day personnel security operations enabling OpenAI employees to support classified government programs.
You will manage the full lifecycle of personnel security cases: clearance and access requests, government-system record maintenance, visit and briefing coordination, onboarding/offboarding support, and employee guidance through sensitive security requirements. This is a hands-on operational role requiring independent management of a high-volume case queue, meticulous organization, sound judgment about escalations, and a commitment to improving processes.
Key responsibilities include processing and tracking personnel eligibility, classified access, indoctrinations, debriefings, and customer approvals across government platforms (DISS, NBIS/eApp, NISS, and others). You will maintain audit-ready records, guide employees through security forms and requirements while protecting sensitive information, and coordinate actions with government security representatives, customer security offices, program teams, and internal partners.
You will prepare visit authorization requests, security access packages (CAC, NIPR, SIPR, SAAR documentation), identify discrepancies and aging cases, and escalate complex or sensitive issues appropriately. The role includes developing and improving checklists, SOPs, templates, metrics, and workflows to reduce backlog and manual effort, while supporting self-inspections, customer reviews, and broader program scaling efforts.
The role is based in San Francisco or Washington, DC, with a hybrid model of three days in-office per week. Relocation assistance is available. Additional onsite presence and occasional travel may be required based on classified program and government customer needs.
Ideal candidates have hands-on personnel security experience supporting a cleared defense contractor, Intelligence Community organization, or federal customer. You should have directly managed clearance verification, access processing, indoctrinations, debriefings, visit requests, and onboarding/offboarding for cleared personnel. Working experience with DISS and NBIS/eApp is required; familiarity with NISS, SWFT, Scattered Castles, or customer-specific systems is a plus. Understanding of NISPOM and Security Executive Agent Directives is essential.
You must be highly organized, able to manage competing priorities and high-volume case queues without losing accuracy, and communicate clearly when explaining complex requirements. Discretion with sensitive information and sound judgment about escalations are critical. Experience with SCI or SAP access, customer-specific nominations, and visit authorization requests is valued. Active Top Secret eligibility and current SCI access are required; ability to obtain and maintain customer-required polygraph or additional approvals is necessary.
