AI companies are banking on this job title
A once-obscure job title is taking hold across hiring boards and LinkedIn profiles: “member of technical staff.” At companies like OpenAI, the title could be applied to a senior engineer with a decade-plus of experience under their belt. Or it could refer to a cofounder or tech leader who was previously in a C-suite role. But it just as easily might describe a junior employee who is early in…
A once-forgotten job title is gaining traction among leading AI companies: "member of technical staff." This term, also known as MTS, is being used to describe employees at companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, and Microsoft AI. At OpenAI, the title can apply to senior engineers with significant experience or even cofounders and tech leaders.
Meanwhile, junior employees early in their careers might also wear this label. The rise of this job title has sparked an increase of 50% in its usage among employees of major AI firms over the past year. OpenAI and Anthropic have promoted the title as a way to bridge the gap between researchers and engineers, treating them as equals.
This move appears to be more than just a branding strategy; it aims to signal to prospective employees that they'll be working on cutting-edge technical projects without the need for complex job titles. Some experts argue that "member of technical staff" serves as a repudiation of traditional organizational structures and a strategic move to obscure the inner workings of AI companies in a time of intense scrutiny.
However, the growing use of this title also reflects a broader trend of unconventional job titles that can be intentionally opaque to the general public.
Written by urgent.news from Fast Company's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
