H-1B Visa Director Of Innovation Jobs
Director of Innovation roles qualify for H-1B sponsorship when the position requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a directly related specialty field. Employers must file a Labor Condition Application before your petition, certifying the role meets prevailing wage requirements. Most hiring happens at large tech, consulting, and R&D-driven organizations with established H-1B filing history.
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Get Access To All JobsAbout Kirkland & Ellis
At Kirkland & Ellis, we don’t just meet the standard for legal excellence — we set it. Our culture is built on teamwork, ingenuity and an unwavering commitment to continuous growth. We tackle the most sophisticated legal challenges with bold ideas and innovative solutions, powered by the exceptional experience and ambition of our 7,000+ people, including 4,000+ attorneys, across 23 offices worldwide. Our dedicated professionals share our lawyers’ commitment to excellence and show up each day to do meaningful work that helps drive global business, investment and innovation forward.
What You’ll Do
Our Litigation and Practice Technology (“LPT”) team sits at the forefront of legal technology innovation, building and deploying custom data science and AI solutions that advance how we deliver services to attorneys and clients. This role is an opportunity for someone who is energized by emerging technology, thrives at the intersection of technical and operational work, and wants to play a meaningful part in shaping how cutting-edge solutions are developed, communicated, and adopted. If you are passionate about translating complex technical capabilities into real-world impact, we would love to hear from you.
Impact. You will report to the Director of LPT and serve a dual function within the team. First, you will act as a dedicated project management and documentation resource to LPT’s data science and AI engineering functions, coordinating the development and release of custom-built solutions. Second, you will serve as the team’s primary steward of LPT’s broader solutions and technology portfolio. You will work in close partnership with leadership in Innovation and IT to ensure alignment across both dimensions.
Data Science & AI Solutions Project Management. You will serve as the dedicated project management partner to LPT’s data science and AI engineering leadership, overseeing the planning, tracking, and delivery of custom-built solutions across the full development lifecycle, including Relativity customizations, LLM-based tools, data pipelines, and visualization dashboards. You will maintain clear visibility into priorities, dependencies, risks, and release timelines; coordinate closely with technical teams to document requirements, milestones, testing outcomes, and release readiness; and facilitate effective collaboration across contributing teams, including Innovation Engineering and IT. You will also manage stakeholder communications by drafting updates, preparing release summaries, and coordinating solution rollouts in partnership with the Associate Director of Team & Knowledge Development and other LPT functions.
Solutions Documentation & Capability Communication. You will develop and maintain a comprehensive, end-to-end view of LPT’s solutions portfolio including custom AI and analytics tools, eDiscovery platforms, and other firm-offered capabilities, in close coordination with Innovation Product Leads and aligned with IT and product roadmaps. You will create clear, accessible documentation that explains what each solution does, how and when it should be used, its limitations, and its optimal workflow context for both technical and non-technical audiences. Serving as a trusted resource for attorneys, paralegals, clients, and internal teams, you will communicate LPT’s capabilities through presentations, briefings, and training sessions, while partnering with other Associate Directors to ensure new and evolving solutions are reflected in training programs, onboarding materials, and quality and workflow standards.
What You’ll Bring
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- 7 or more years of experience in litigation support, ediscovery, or legal technology service delivery at a law firm, legal service provider, or corporate legal department.
- Demonstrated experience managing complex, cross-functional projects involving technical teams, with strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Proven ability to document complex technical solutions and workflows in clear, accessible language.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience developing and delivering presentations to both technical and non-technical audiences. Skilled in PowerPoint and other presentation tools.
- Working familiarity with AI, machine learning, and data science concepts and workflows. You do not need to be an engineer or data scientist but should be comfortable engaging with technical teams.
- Experience maintaining inventories, registries, or knowledge bases of tools, platforms, or capabilities.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively across technical, operational, and legal stakeholder groups.
- Exceptional organizational skills, sound judgment, and the ability to independently drive initiatives forward.
- Working familiarity with generative AI tools and platforms including OpenAI, Microsoft Azure OpenAI, LangChain, LangFlow, Hugging Face, and vector databases is preferred. Familiarity with prompt engineering techniques and agentic workflow concepts is also a plus.
- Familiarity with Relativity and RelativityOne, case management platforms, or other litigation support tools is preferred; experience with custom Relativity development is beneficial.
- Experience collaborating with data science or AI engineering teams is preferred, including an understanding of agile development practices, sprint planning, and tools like Git or JIRA.
- Working knowledge of data visualization tools such as Plotly, Tableau, or Microsoft Power BI is a plus.
- Experience supporting the rollout and adoption of new tools or capabilities within a professional services environment is preferred.
Compensation
The base salary range below represents the low and high end of the salary range for this position in each of the below locations. This range may differ based on your geographic location and cost of living considerations. At Kirkland & Ellis, we consider compensation more than just a base salary. We offer an exceptional range of flexible benefits including comprehensive healthcare, paid time off, and retirement. We also offer personal support and tailored learning and development opportunities all designed to help you realize your full potential both in life and at work.
Compensation Range:
- Chicago: $233,000 - $291,000
- New York City: $233,000 - $321,000
- Los Angeles: $233,000 - $321,000
How to Apply
Thank you for your interest in Kirkland & Ellis LLP. To complete an application and submit your resume, please click "Apply Now."
Don't meet every job requirement? That's okay! If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't perfectly fit every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right person for this role or others at Kirkland.
Equal Employment Opportunity
The Firm will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records and criminal histories consistent with local laws.
All employment decisions, including the recruiting, hiring, placement, training availability, promotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplinary actions, and termination of employment (if necessary) are made without regard to the employee’s race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy or childbirth, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.
LI-Remote #LI-LC1
About Kirkland & Ellis
At Kirkland & Ellis, we don’t just meet the standard for legal excellence — we set it. Our culture is built on teamwork, ingenuity and an unwavering commitment to continuous growth. We tackle the most sophisticated legal challenges with bold ideas and innovative solutions, powered by the exceptional experience and ambition of our 7,000+ people, including 4,000+ attorneys, across 23 offices worldwide. Our dedicated professionals share our lawyers’ commitment to excellence and show up each day to do meaningful work that helps drive global business, investment and innovation forward.
What You’ll Do
Our Litigation and Practice Technology (“LPT”) team sits at the forefront of legal technology innovation, building and deploying custom data science and AI solutions that advance how we deliver services to attorneys and clients. This role is an opportunity for someone who is energized by emerging technology, thrives at the intersection of technical and operational work, and wants to play a meaningful part in shaping how cutting-edge solutions are developed, communicated, and adopted. If you are passionate about translating complex technical capabilities into real-world impact, we would love to hear from you.
Impact. You will report to the Director of LPT and serve a dual function within the team. First, you will act as a dedicated project management and documentation resource to LPT’s data science and AI engineering functions, coordinating the development and release of custom-built solutions. Second, you will serve as the team’s primary steward of LPT’s broader solutions and technology portfolio. You will work in close partnership with leadership in Innovation and IT to ensure alignment across both dimensions.
Data Science & AI Solutions Project Management. You will serve as the dedicated project management partner to LPT’s data science and AI engineering leadership, overseeing the planning, tracking, and delivery of custom-built solutions across the full development lifecycle, including Relativity customizations, LLM-based tools, data pipelines, and visualization dashboards. You will maintain clear visibility into priorities, dependencies, risks, and release timelines; coordinate closely with technical teams to document requirements, milestones, testing outcomes, and release readiness; and facilitate effective collaboration across contributing teams, including Innovation Engineering and IT. You will also manage stakeholder communications by drafting updates, preparing release summaries, and coordinating solution rollouts in partnership with the Associate Director of Team & Knowledge Development and other LPT functions.
Solutions Documentation & Capability Communication. You will develop and maintain a comprehensive, end-to-end view of LPT’s solutions portfolio including custom AI and analytics tools, eDiscovery platforms, and other firm-offered capabilities, in close coordination with Innovation Product Leads and aligned with IT and product roadmaps. You will create clear, accessible documentation that explains what each solution does, how and when it should be used, its limitations, and its optimal workflow context for both technical and non-technical audiences. Serving as a trusted resource for attorneys, paralegals, clients, and internal teams, you will communicate LPT’s capabilities through presentations, briefings, and training sessions, while partnering with other Associate Directors to ensure new and evolving solutions are reflected in training programs, onboarding materials, and quality and workflow standards.
What You’ll Bring
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- 7 or more years of experience in litigation support, ediscovery, or legal technology service delivery at a law firm, legal service provider, or corporate legal department.
- Demonstrated experience managing complex, cross-functional projects involving technical teams, with strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Proven ability to document complex technical solutions and workflows in clear, accessible language.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience developing and delivering presentations to both technical and non-technical audiences. Skilled in PowerPoint and other presentation tools.
- Working familiarity with AI, machine learning, and data science concepts and workflows. You do not need to be an engineer or data scientist but should be comfortable engaging with technical teams.
- Experience maintaining inventories, registries, or knowledge bases of tools, platforms, or capabilities.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively across technical, operational, and legal stakeholder groups.
- Exceptional organizational skills, sound judgment, and the ability to independently drive initiatives forward.
- Working familiarity with generative AI tools and platforms including OpenAI, Microsoft Azure OpenAI, LangChain, LangFlow, Hugging Face, and vector databases is preferred. Familiarity with prompt engineering techniques and agentic workflow concepts is also a plus.
- Familiarity with Relativity and RelativityOne, case management platforms, or other litigation support tools is preferred; experience with custom Relativity development is beneficial.
- Experience collaborating with data science or AI engineering teams is preferred, including an understanding of agile development practices, sprint planning, and tools like Git or JIRA.
- Working knowledge of data visualization tools such as Plotly, Tableau, or Microsoft Power BI is a plus.
- Experience supporting the rollout and adoption of new tools or capabilities within a professional services environment is preferred.
Compensation
The base salary range below represents the low and high end of the salary range for this position in each of the below locations. This range may differ based on your geographic location and cost of living considerations. At Kirkland & Ellis, we consider compensation more than just a base salary. We offer an exceptional range of flexible benefits including comprehensive healthcare, paid time off, and retirement. We also offer personal support and tailored learning and development opportunities all designed to help you realize your full potential both in life and at work.
Compensation Range:
- Chicago: $233,000 - $291,000
- New York City: $233,000 - $321,000
- Los Angeles: $233,000 - $321,000
How to Apply
Thank you for your interest in Kirkland & Ellis LLP. To complete an application and submit your resume, please click "Apply Now."
Don't meet every job requirement? That's okay! If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't perfectly fit every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right person for this role or others at Kirkland.
Equal Employment Opportunity
The Firm will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records and criminal histories consistent with local laws.
All employment decisions, including the recruiting, hiring, placement, training availability, promotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplinary actions, and termination of employment (if necessary) are made without regard to the employee’s race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy or childbirth, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.
LI-Remote #LI-LC1
See all 33+ Director Of Innovation jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Director Of Innovation roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship in Director Of Innovation
Map your degree to the role
Director of Innovation petitions face RFE risk when the specialty occupation connection is unclear. Document how your degree field directly underpins the innovation function, not just general management, using the O*NET occupation profile as a reference framework.
Target employers with R&D budget mandates
Companies with dedicated R&D spend or federal innovation contracts file H-1B petitions more predictably than those where the role is discretionary. Search Migrate Mate by employer to surface organizations with verified LCA filing history for innovation-adjacent titles.
Verify prevailing wage before salary negotiations
Your employer's LCA must certify a wage at or above the DOL prevailing wage for your specific job zone and location. Run the OFLC Wage Search before your offer conversation so you can confirm the posted range satisfies Level III or Level IV requirements.
Negotiate H-1B premium processing into your offer
Director-level roles often come with tight start-date expectations. Request that your employer file with USCIS premium processing, which reduces the adjudication window to 15 business days and protects your start date if you're transitioning from another status.
Confirm cap-exempt status for university or nonprofit roles
Innovation director positions at universities, nonprofit research institutions, or government-affiliated entities are cap-exempt, meaning your employer can file outside the annual lottery. Confirm the organization qualifies under INA 214(g)(5) before counting on cap-exempt filing.
Prepare evidence of specialized expertise early
USCIS scrutinizes Director of Innovation petitions for evidence that the role genuinely requires specialized knowledge rather than general leadership. Assemble publications, patents, keynote invitations, or board memberships before the offer stage so your employer's attorney can build the petition immediately.
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Find Director Of Innovation JobsDirector Of Innovation H-1B Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Director of Innovation role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
It can, but USCIS reviews these petitions carefully because the title spans both management and technical functions. The role qualifies when it demonstrably requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific field, such as engineering, computer science, or design strategy. A job description that lists a degree as preferred rather than required weakens the petition significantly.
How do I find employers who actually sponsor H-1B visas for Director of Innovation positions?
The most reliable method is searching DOL Labor Condition Application disclosure data, which shows which employers have filed for innovation-related titles and at what wage levels. Migrate Mate filters this data by role and employer so you can identify organizations with a documented H-1B filing track record, rather than relying on job postings that may not reflect actual sponsorship willingness.
Can my employer count me toward the H-1B cap if I'm already on a valid H-1B with another company?
Yes. If you already hold H-1B status, your new employer can file an H-1B transfer petition without subjecting you to the annual cap or lottery. The transfer lets you begin work as soon as the new petition is filed, not after approval, provided the new employer's I-129 is submitted before your current authorized period ends.
What happens to my H-1B status if my Director of Innovation role is eliminated or restructured after I'm sponsored?
You have a 60-day grace period from the date your employment ends to find a new sponsoring employer, transfer your H-1B, or change to another valid status. During that window, you can't work, but you can interview and negotiate an offer. Filing a transfer petition before the grace period expires preserves your status while the new petition is pending.
Does the DOL prevailing wage requirement apply differently for a director-level role versus a manager-level role?
The prevailing wage is determined by the specific SOC occupation code and job zone assigned to your role, not the title alone. Director of Innovation positions typically map to higher wage levels, usually Level III or Level IV, because they require substantial experience and independent judgment. Your employer must certify this wage in the LCA before USCIS will approve the H-1B petition.
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