H-1B Visa Principal Scientist Jobs
Principal Scientist roles qualify as H-1B visa specialty occupations under the research and life sciences SOC codes, requiring at least a bachelor's degree in a directly related field. Large pharmaceutical, biotech, and tech R&D employers regularly file H-1B petitions for this title, and many are cap-exempt through university or nonprofit research affiliations.
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Get Access To All JobsDate: Aug 3, 2026
Location(s): Juno Beach, FL, US, 33408
Company: NextEra Energy
Requisition ID: 96608
NextEra Energy Marketing is one of the nation’s leading electricity and natural gas marketers, and a key player in the energy markets in the United States and Canada. As a part of NextEra Energy Resources, we specialize in innovative energy strategies that maximize market value for our customers and stakeholders. Our team is skilled in market analysis, trading, risk management and delivering tailored customer solutions across North America. If you are a strategic thinker eager to make a significant impact in the fast-paced energy industry, join our team today.
Position Specific Description
This Director role combines deep technical expertise with strategic leadership. You will set the vision for grid modeling and congestion analytics, ensure analytical rigor at scale, and translate complex power system and market dynamics into actionable commercial and risk management decisions. In addition to owning the technical roadmap, you will partner closely with traders and other senior stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Ownership & Delivery
- Own and advance detailed DC/AC power flow and contingency models for PJM, ERCOT, and other ISO/RTOs.
- Model and forecast flowgates, interface constraints, thermal and voltage limits impacting DA/RT markets and FTR/CRR/ARR outcomes.
- Build, calibrate, validate, and back-test market simulation engines that replicate ISO dispatch, pricing (LMP, congestion, losses), and auction mechanics.
- Monitor and model transmission topology changes, outages, new project interconnections, and load growth trends.
- Translate ISO tariffs, FERC regulations, and market rule changes into modeling assumptions and logic.
- Design and govern automated, production-grade data pipelines integrating grid, market, weather, and asset data into trading, risk, and settlement systems.
Strategy, Vision & Business Impact
- Define the multi-year strategy and roadmap for grid modeling and congestion analytics aligned with NextEra’s trading, development, and risk objectives.
- Quantify and communicate congestion risk, nodal margin drivers, sensitivities, and scenario outcomes to trading desks and executive leadership.
- Partner with development, origination, and asset optimization teams to support build/no-build decisions, merchant valuations, and hedging strategies.
- Identify and incubate new analytical capabilities (advanced optimization, ML/AI, cloud-native architectures) and drive them from POC to production.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree (Master’s or PhD preferred) in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, Applied Math, Physics, Computer Science, or related field.
- 7+ years of progressive experience in ISO/RTO market modeling, congestion analytics, or power systems analysis.
- Deep expertise in DC/AC power flow, contingency analysis, FTR/CRR/ARR markets, and settlement mechanics.
- Proficiency with industry tools (e.g., PSS/E, PowerWorld, Dayzer, Enelytix/TARA, Enverus Mosaic/Panorama, YES Energy or similar) and strong programming skills (Python, SQL, etc.).
- Demonstrated ability to lead teams, influence senior stakeholders, and translate analytics into business decisions.
Preferred Qualifications
- Operational experience in PJM and/or ERCOT markets.
- Experience collaborating with congestion trade desks.
Job Overview
This position is responsible for leading the development of algorithms, modeling techniques, and optimization methods that support many aspects of NextEra and FPL business. Employees in this role use knowledge of machine learning, optimization, statistics, and applied mathematics along with abilities in software engineering with a focus on distributed computing and data storage infrastructure (i.e., “Big Data”).
Job Duties & Responsibilities
- Provide thought leadership, set technical strategy, and identify possible uses of data science methods.
- Explain methods and results to upper-level executives.
- Develop machine learning, optimizations or other modeling solutions.
- Oversee related employee work, learn new techniques being developed.
- Prepares comprehensive documented observations, analyses and interpretations of results including technical reports, summaries, protocols and quantitative analyses.
- Works with big data and distributed computing platforms.
- Develops software and contributes to product development.
- Performs other job-related duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Experience: 6+ years
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s Degree
- Doctoral Degree
NextEra Energy offers a wide range of benefits to support our employees and their eligible family members.
Employee Group: Exempt
Employee Type: Full Time
Job Category: Science, Research, and Technology
Organization: NextEra Energy Marketing, LLC
Relocation Provided: Yes, if applicable
NextEra Energy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, age, national origin, religion, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetics, disability, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by law.
NextEra Energy provides reasonable accommodation in its application and selection process for qualified individuals, including accommodations related to compliance with conditional job offer requirements, consistent with federal, state, and local laws. Supporting medical or religious documentation will be required where applicable and permitted by applicable law. To request a reasonable accommodation, please send an e-mail to recruiting-coordinator.sharedmailbox@nexteraenergy.com, providing your name, telephone number and the best time for us to reach you.
NextEra Energy will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.
NextEra Energy does not accept any unsolicited resumes or referrals from any third-party recruiting firms or agencies.
Nearest Major Market: Palm Beach
Nearest Secondary Market: Miami
Job Segment: Power Systems, Energy
Date: Aug 3, 2026
Location(s): Juno Beach, FL, US, 33408
Company: NextEra Energy
Requisition ID: 96608
NextEra Energy Marketing is one of the nation’s leading electricity and natural gas marketers, and a key player in the energy markets in the United States and Canada. As a part of NextEra Energy Resources, we specialize in innovative energy strategies that maximize market value for our customers and stakeholders. Our team is skilled in market analysis, trading, risk management and delivering tailored customer solutions across North America. If you are a strategic thinker eager to make a significant impact in the fast-paced energy industry, join our team today.
Position Specific Description
This Director role combines deep technical expertise with strategic leadership. You will set the vision for grid modeling and congestion analytics, ensure analytical rigor at scale, and translate complex power system and market dynamics into actionable commercial and risk management decisions. In addition to owning the technical roadmap, you will partner closely with traders and other senior stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Ownership & Delivery
- Own and advance detailed DC/AC power flow and contingency models for PJM, ERCOT, and other ISO/RTOs.
- Model and forecast flowgates, interface constraints, thermal and voltage limits impacting DA/RT markets and FTR/CRR/ARR outcomes.
- Build, calibrate, validate, and back-test market simulation engines that replicate ISO dispatch, pricing (LMP, congestion, losses), and auction mechanics.
- Monitor and model transmission topology changes, outages, new project interconnections, and load growth trends.
- Translate ISO tariffs, FERC regulations, and market rule changes into modeling assumptions and logic.
- Design and govern automated, production-grade data pipelines integrating grid, market, weather, and asset data into trading, risk, and settlement systems.
Strategy, Vision & Business Impact
- Define the multi-year strategy and roadmap for grid modeling and congestion analytics aligned with NextEra’s trading, development, and risk objectives.
- Quantify and communicate congestion risk, nodal margin drivers, sensitivities, and scenario outcomes to trading desks and executive leadership.
- Partner with development, origination, and asset optimization teams to support build/no-build decisions, merchant valuations, and hedging strategies.
- Identify and incubate new analytical capabilities (advanced optimization, ML/AI, cloud-native architectures) and drive them from POC to production.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree (Master’s or PhD preferred) in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, Applied Math, Physics, Computer Science, or related field.
- 7+ years of progressive experience in ISO/RTO market modeling, congestion analytics, or power systems analysis.
- Deep expertise in DC/AC power flow, contingency analysis, FTR/CRR/ARR markets, and settlement mechanics.
- Proficiency with industry tools (e.g., PSS/E, PowerWorld, Dayzer, Enelytix/TARA, Enverus Mosaic/Panorama, YES Energy or similar) and strong programming skills (Python, SQL, etc.).
- Demonstrated ability to lead teams, influence senior stakeholders, and translate analytics into business decisions.
Preferred Qualifications
- Operational experience in PJM and/or ERCOT markets.
- Experience collaborating with congestion trade desks.
Job Overview
This position is responsible for leading the development of algorithms, modeling techniques, and optimization methods that support many aspects of NextEra and FPL business. Employees in this role use knowledge of machine learning, optimization, statistics, and applied mathematics along with abilities in software engineering with a focus on distributed computing and data storage infrastructure (i.e., “Big Data”).
Job Duties & Responsibilities
- Provide thought leadership, set technical strategy, and identify possible uses of data science methods.
- Explain methods and results to upper-level executives.
- Develop machine learning, optimizations or other modeling solutions.
- Oversee related employee work, learn new techniques being developed.
- Prepares comprehensive documented observations, analyses and interpretations of results including technical reports, summaries, protocols and quantitative analyses.
- Works with big data and distributed computing platforms.
- Develops software and contributes to product development.
- Performs other job-related duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Experience: 6+ years
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s Degree
- Doctoral Degree
NextEra Energy offers a wide range of benefits to support our employees and their eligible family members.
Employee Group: Exempt
Employee Type: Full Time
Job Category: Science, Research, and Technology
Organization: NextEra Energy Marketing, LLC
Relocation Provided: Yes, if applicable
NextEra Energy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, age, national origin, religion, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetics, disability, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by law.
NextEra Energy provides reasonable accommodation in its application and selection process for qualified individuals, including accommodations related to compliance with conditional job offer requirements, consistent with federal, state, and local laws. Supporting medical or religious documentation will be required where applicable and permitted by applicable law. To request a reasonable accommodation, please send an e-mail to recruiting-coordinator.sharedmailbox@nexteraenergy.com, providing your name, telephone number and the best time for us to reach you.
NextEra Energy will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.
NextEra Energy does not accept any unsolicited resumes or referrals from any third-party recruiting firms or agencies.
Nearest Major Market: Palm Beach
Nearest Secondary Market: Miami
Job Segment: Power Systems, Energy
See all 1,076+ H-1B Visa Principal Scientist Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new H-1B Visa Principal Scientist Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship as a Principal Scientist
Verify your SOC code before applying
Principal Scientist maps to multiple SOC codes depending on your discipline. Check O*NET to confirm the right code for your specialty, since mismatches between your degree field and the SOC code on the LCA are a common source of H-1B RFEs.
Target cap-exempt employers directly
Universities, nonprofit research institutions, and government research labs can file H-1B petitions outside the annual cap and lottery. Prioritizing these employers means your petition can be filed any time of year, not just in April.
Use Migrate Mate to filter by LCA filing history
Search Principal Scientist roles on Migrate Mate to see which employers have active DOL Labor Condition Application filings for this title. That filing history confirms the employer has sponsored this role before, not just that they're open to it in principle.
Request the prevailing wage determination early
Ask your prospective employer to run the OFLC Wage Search for your specific SOC code and worksite location before your offer letter is finalized. The offered salary must meet or exceed the prevailing wage level, and misalignments discovered late can delay filing significantly.
Document your research contributions for the specialty occupation argument
USCIS scrutinizes Principal Scientist petitions where the role blends research and management duties. Gather publications, patent filings, and project records that show your duties require a specific advanced degree, not just general scientific knowledge.
Negotiate H-1B filing timelines into your offer
Cap-subject H-1B petitions have an October 1 start date, meaning an April lottery win translates to a five-month gap. During offer negotiations, clarify whether the employer will cover premium processing and how they handle your authorization during the gap period.
H-1B Visa Principal Scientist: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Principal Scientist role qualify as an H-1B specialty occupation?
Yes. Principal Scientist positions qualify as H-1B specialty occupations because the role requires at least a bachelor's degree in a directly related scientific field, such as biochemistry, molecular biology, chemistry, or data science. USCIS looks at whether the specific duties require that degree, not just whether the employer prefers it. Roles that blend scientific research with broad management duties face more scrutiny, so the job description should clearly tie each core duty to a specialized degree requirement.
Which employers most commonly sponsor H-1B visas for Principal Scientists?
Pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, medical device manufacturers, and large technology companies with in-house R&D divisions are the most active H-1B sponsors for Principal Scientist roles. Universities and nonprofit research institutes also sponsor this title and have the added advantage of being cap-exempt, meaning they aren't subject to the annual H-1B lottery. You can browse employers with verified LCA filing history for this role on Migrate Mate.
How does the H-1B cap lottery affect Principal Scientist job seekers?
If you're targeting a for-profit employer that isn't affiliated with a university or qualifying nonprofit, your H-1B petition enters the annual lottery capped at 85,000 slots. Registration opens in March, and selections are announced before April 1 for an October 1 start date. Not being selected doesn't disqualify you permanently, but it means waiting to register again the following year unless you identify a cap-exempt employer in the interim.
Can my employer file an H-1B petition if my degree is from outside the United States?
Yes, but your employer will typically need a credential evaluation confirming your foreign degree is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree or higher in the relevant field. For Principal Scientist roles, USCIS also accepts a combination of a lower degree plus progressive work experience under the three-for-one equivalency rule, where three years of specialized experience substitutes for one year of formal education. The evaluation must come from a recognized credential evaluation service.
What happens to my H-1B status if I change employers as a Principal Scientist?
H-1B portability under AC21 lets you start working for a new employer as soon as your new employer files a transfer petition, provided your current H-1B has been approved for at least 180 days. Your new employer files a fresh I-129 petition with a new LCA certified for the new worksite and salary. You don't re-enter the lottery for a transfer, but the new petition must independently satisfy all specialty occupation requirements for the Principal Scientist role as defined by the new employer.