H-1B Visa Branch Chief Jobs
Branch Chief jobs with H-1B visa sponsorship sit at the intersection of specialized expertise and organizational leadership. Employers filing an LCA must certify a prevailing wage for the specific worksite, and your degree field needs to align directly with the program or policy area you'll oversee. H-1B status is granted for up to three years, extendable to six.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
The National Library of Medicine's Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications was congressionally authorized “for the improvement of communications necessary for health education, research, and practice.”
About the position
LHNCBC advances the use of clinical data for cutting edge biomedical research and development through the effective application of data science, computational sciences, and biomedical informatics in the diagnosis, prevention, and management of diseases and to promote health.
LHNCBC is comprised of an Office of the Director and two branches: the Applied Clinical Informatics Branch (ACIB) and the Scientific Computing Branch (SCB). The SCB Chief is an expert in computational science tasked with:
- Leading, managing, and overseeing the strategic development and deployment of scientific computing resources and efforts in LHNCBC;
- Serving as the senior scientific computing advisor to the LHNCBC Director; and
- Directly performing biomedical product assessment and research related to algorithms, tools, systems, biomedical and clinical datasets, and other scientific computing methods for the use of datasets and development of analytical tools and methods (e.g., artificial intelligence or informatics).
The SCB Chief will lead the design and development of scientific computing tools and next generation enterprise computational infrastructure to enable applied clinical informatics research and development.
The SCB Chief will be appointed to a position in the Senior Biomedical Research and Biomedical Product Assessment Service (SBRBPAS) and will lead a team of approximately 15 federal and contract staff and manage a budget of approximately $5 million. The SCB Chief serves as a leader within LHNCBC and works in coordination with the LHNCBC Office of the Director and Applied Clinical Informatics Branch (ACIB) and key NLM and NIH offices and centers on biomedical product assessment, biomedical informatics, data science, computer science, artificial intelligence, and other relevant scientific disciplines to leverage the power of clinical data to enable and drive LHNCBC applied clinical informatics research and development activities to accelerate scientific discovery and health.
What you'll need to apply
Interested candidates should email a complete application package* consisting of:
- A cover letter including a description of experience and expertise
- Curriculum Vitae/Resume *Candidates must indicate their citizenship status on either their resume or cover letter.
Note: Three letters of reference and transcripts will be required if a candidate is selected.
Contact name
Nikeia Miller
Contact email
millernik@nih.gov
QUALIFICATIONS
The successful candidate will have knowledge and experience in biomedical product assessment, clinical informatics, computer science, and data science. The candidate must also possess broad scientific knowledge to comprehend LHNCBC applied research and development activities. In addition to direct involvement in data science research and development, and biomedical product assessment, the SCB Chief is a member of the LHNCBC leadership team. The subject position will also have a crucial role in enhancing the efficiency and efficacy of clinical informatics resource and tool creation and sustainability.
Specifically, the SCB Chief’s duties are as follows:
- Advising the LHNCBC Director, Deputy Director, and leadership team broadly on delivery systems of products, services, processes, and technologies to advance the LHNCBC mission.
- Assessing LHNCBC scientific computational needs and outline and drive analytical tool development and assessment, computational analysis, and data management practices that enable the LHNCBC’s mission and activities.
- Coordinating with LHNCBC staff regarding the strategic, scientific, and technological considerations in applied clinical informatics research and development.
- Outlining priorities for technology and innovation to integrate AI and other computational tools and techniques with LHNCBC applied clinical informatics research and development activities.
- Monitoring and informing on the ever-changing scientific advances in computing.
- Directing all SCB activities, programs and staff as well as performing supervisory duties including mentoring staff, managing the budget, and conducting staff performance evaluations and training.
- Identifying and leading applied research and development activities to tackle complex scientific computing challenges to derive innovative, generalizable solutions resulting in more efficient, cost-effective and better-performing methods, algorithms or analytic approaches.
- Applying biomedical research and product assessment methodologies to support improvement in the capacity, quality and efficiency of scientific computing resources to support LHNCBC mission and activities.
- In collaboration with ACIB staff, identifying computational needs and propose the most effective and innovative approaches to enhance applied clinical informatics research and development capabilities.
INTRODUCTION
The National Library of Medicine's Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications was congressionally authorized “for the improvement of communications necessary for health education, research, and practice.”
About the position
LHNCBC advances the use of clinical data for cutting edge biomedical research and development through the effective application of data science, computational sciences, and biomedical informatics in the diagnosis, prevention, and management of diseases and to promote health.
LHNCBC is comprised of an Office of the Director and two branches: the Applied Clinical Informatics Branch (ACIB) and the Scientific Computing Branch (SCB). The SCB Chief is an expert in computational science tasked with:
- Leading, managing, and overseeing the strategic development and deployment of scientific computing resources and efforts in LHNCBC;
- Serving as the senior scientific computing advisor to the LHNCBC Director; and
- Directly performing biomedical product assessment and research related to algorithms, tools, systems, biomedical and clinical datasets, and other scientific computing methods for the use of datasets and development of analytical tools and methods (e.g., artificial intelligence or informatics).
The SCB Chief will lead the design and development of scientific computing tools and next generation enterprise computational infrastructure to enable applied clinical informatics research and development.
The SCB Chief will be appointed to a position in the Senior Biomedical Research and Biomedical Product Assessment Service (SBRBPAS) and will lead a team of approximately 15 federal and contract staff and manage a budget of approximately $5 million. The SCB Chief serves as a leader within LHNCBC and works in coordination with the LHNCBC Office of the Director and Applied Clinical Informatics Branch (ACIB) and key NLM and NIH offices and centers on biomedical product assessment, biomedical informatics, data science, computer science, artificial intelligence, and other relevant scientific disciplines to leverage the power of clinical data to enable and drive LHNCBC applied clinical informatics research and development activities to accelerate scientific discovery and health.
What you'll need to apply
Interested candidates should email a complete application package* consisting of:
- A cover letter including a description of experience and expertise
- Curriculum Vitae/Resume *Candidates must indicate their citizenship status on either their resume or cover letter.
Note: Three letters of reference and transcripts will be required if a candidate is selected.
Contact name
Nikeia Miller
Contact email
millernik@nih.gov
QUALIFICATIONS
The successful candidate will have knowledge and experience in biomedical product assessment, clinical informatics, computer science, and data science. The candidate must also possess broad scientific knowledge to comprehend LHNCBC applied research and development activities. In addition to direct involvement in data science research and development, and biomedical product assessment, the SCB Chief is a member of the LHNCBC leadership team. The subject position will also have a crucial role in enhancing the efficiency and efficacy of clinical informatics resource and tool creation and sustainability.
Specifically, the SCB Chief’s duties are as follows:
- Advising the LHNCBC Director, Deputy Director, and leadership team broadly on delivery systems of products, services, processes, and technologies to advance the LHNCBC mission.
- Assessing LHNCBC scientific computational needs and outline and drive analytical tool development and assessment, computational analysis, and data management practices that enable the LHNCBC’s mission and activities.
- Coordinating with LHNCBC staff regarding the strategic, scientific, and technological considerations in applied clinical informatics research and development.
- Outlining priorities for technology and innovation to integrate AI and other computational tools and techniques with LHNCBC applied clinical informatics research and development activities.
- Monitoring and informing on the ever-changing scientific advances in computing.
- Directing all SCB activities, programs and staff as well as performing supervisory duties including mentoring staff, managing the budget, and conducting staff performance evaluations and training.
- Identifying and leading applied research and development activities to tackle complex scientific computing challenges to derive innovative, generalizable solutions resulting in more efficient, cost-effective and better-performing methods, algorithms or analytic approaches.
- Applying biomedical research and product assessment methodologies to support improvement in the capacity, quality and efficiency of scientific computing resources to support LHNCBC mission and activities.
- In collaboration with ACIB staff, identifying computational needs and propose the most effective and innovative approaches to enhance applied clinical informatics research and development capabilities.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship in Branch Chief
Align your degree to the program area
Branch Chief roles qualify as specialty occupations when the position requires a bachelor's degree in a field directly related to the branch's subject matter. Document how your degree discipline maps to the specific program, policy, or technical domain you'll lead, not just management broadly.
Look up prevailing wages before negotiating
Your employer's LCA must certify a wage at or above the DOL prevailing wage for Branch Chief at your specific worksite location. Run the OFLC Wage Search using the correct SOC code before salary discussions so you know the floor your offer must meet.
Find sponsors through verified LCA filing history
Target employers who have already filed LCAs for management or program oversight roles in your sector. Migrate Mate surfaces employers with verified H-1B LCA sponsorship history by role and location, so you can focus outreach on organizations that have demonstrated willingness to sponsor.
Confirm each worksite gets its own LCA
If the Branch Chief role involves overseeing operations across multiple office locations, each worksite requires its own certified LCA before USCIS will approve status for that location. Raise this with your employer's HR or immigration counsel early to avoid petition delays after an offer is signed.
Review the O*NET profile before your interview
O*NET lists the core tasks and knowledge domains for Branch Chief roles, which directly informs how employers justify specialty occupation status to USCIS. Framing your experience around those documented duties strengthens both the petition and your interview narrative with the hiring manager.
Build an I-129 timeline into your start date
If you're changing employers, your new sponsor must file an I-129 petition with USCIS before or simultaneously with your start date under portability rules. Factor in premium processing availability and the time needed for LCA certification when setting your expected first day.
H-1B Visa Branch Chief: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Branch Chief role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Branch Chief roles typically qualify as specialty occupations when the position requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a field directly related to the branch's functional area, such as public administration, finance, engineering, or a specific policy domain. The employer must demonstrate that the degree requirement is tied to the actual duties of the role, not just general management skills. If the branch oversees a technical or regulated program area, the case for specialty occupation is straightforward.
How do I find employers who sponsor H-1B visas for Branch Chief positions?
Migrate Mate lists employers with verified H-1B LCA sponsorship history searchable by role and location, which lets you identify organizations that have already navigated the filing process for comparable positions. Federal agencies and large contractors in policy, defense, healthcare administration, and financial oversight are among the most active sponsors for Branch Chief and senior program management roles.
What happens to my H-1B status if my Branch Chief role changes scope significantly?
A material change in job duties, worksite, or the degree requirement underpinning your specialty occupation classification may require your employer to file an amended I-129 petition with USCIS before the change takes effect. Reorganizations that shift your branch's functional area or add locations not covered by the original LCA trigger new filing obligations. Work with your employer's immigration counsel to assess whether an amendment is needed before the change occurs.
Can I transfer my H-1B to a new employer while holding a Branch Chief position?
Yes. Under H-1B portability rules, you can begin working for a new sponsoring employer once they file an I-129 petition with USCIS, provided your current status is valid and you've maintained lawful status throughout. The new employer must obtain a certified LCA for your worksite before filing. H-1B status is granted for up to three years at a time, with a six-year maximum, so your remaining time carries over to the new petition.
What prevailing wage level applies to Branch Chief roles under an H-1B LCA?
DOL assigns prevailing wages across four levels based on experience, supervision, and complexity. Branch Chief roles that involve directing staff, setting policy, and exercising independent judgment typically fall at Level III or Level IV, which carry higher wage floors than entry-level positions. Your employer determines the appropriate level, but you can verify the applicable wage for your SOC code and work location using the OFLC Wage Search before accepting an offer.