H-1B Visa R&D Scientist Jobs
R&D Scientist roles qualify as H-1B visa specialty occupations because they require at least a bachelor's degree in chemistry, biology, materials science, or a directly related field. Employers file an LCA with DOL and an I-129 petition with USCIS, sponsoring you for an initial three-year period extendable to six years total.
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Get Access To All JobsJob Title: Principal R&D Scientist
Reports to: Chief Technology officer
FLSA Status: Full time, Regular, Salary, Exempt
About us
At Dimer Instruments we’re creating the next generation of laboratory analytical instruments for the pharmaceutical market. Our products use multiple light-based spectroscopic methods to interrogate solutions containing molecules and particles, providing researchers not just with data but with organized information allowing them to make informed decisions. At Dimer you’ll be working with a high-quality, high-performing, highly collaborative, and enjoyable team of Engineers and Scientists to create products that make a difference in the world. We have fun while we’re creating great products.
Summary
The Principal Research and Development Scientist will be a critical member of the team designing and developing Analytical instruments. They will be expert in the use of optics, optical breadboarding, and optical systems, and in addition to optics they will use a combination of science, math, analysis, scripting/programming, mechanics, data acquisition, and electronics to contribute hands-on through all phases of research and development, including 1) initial math, analysis, simulation, 2) measurement system design, 3) building real-world prototypes that demonstrate proof of concept for individual measurement modalities and functionality, 4) building system prototypes, 5) bringing products from R&D into Manufacturing, 6) demonstrating product performance at every stage in the product lifecycle, and 7) supporting product release and early rapid product improvement. The Principal R&D Scientist will collaborate closely with Mechanical, Electrical, and Software Engineers, and with in-house Application Scientists. The successful Principal R&D Scientist will be able to be scientifically careful and rigorous, able to theoretically understand and experimentally tease apart subtle contributors to data and signals, and also be action-oriented and able to come to quick, practical, and manufacturable solutions. They will be designing and creating scientific instruments that provide cutting edge data and yet are robust in the real world, able to ship to Japan or Europe without optics mis-aligning, and able to reliably operate in sometimes non-ideal laboratory conditions. The successful Principal R&D Scientist will not shy away from tackling the sometimes less glamorous work of contributing to work instructions and assembly instructions (e.g. for an optical alignment or calibration method to be used in manufacturing), generating and documenting manufacturing tools (which can sometimes be complicated analytical instruments in their own right), contributing to user documentation, and running and analyzing user samples. The successful R&D Principal scientist will be highly collaborative, both with Dimer staff across the organization and with external researchers. The Principal R&D Scientist will also be willing and able to educate customers, internal Dimer staff, and other stakeholders regarding the science behind the Dimer products, generating presentations and demonstrations and presenting at conferences, trade shows, customer sites, and for internal training as needed. Dimer Instruments products are scientific instruments and analytical tools used by scientists. The Principal R&D Scientist will be a key member of a collaborative team inventing, designing, developing, and launching products that solve real world challenges and improve the pace of science and pharmaceutical development.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Design, build, and demonstrate performance of optical measurement systems, including imaging and non-imaging systems from UV into the NIR
- Use standard optical and measurement tools to assess performance of optical components including single mode and multi-mode optical fibers, lens, filters, mirrors, optomechanical and assemblies
- Math, simulation, and analysis to predict real world performance of physical systems, e.g. noise floor for a particular optical measurement, cooling rate of a thermoelectric module assembly, signal strength from molecules in solution being probed by various modalities, etc., etc.
- Electronics troubleshooting, including op-amp circuits associated with laser drive, photocurrent measurement, and similar, and digital circuits associated with GPIO, system control, and similar
- Contribute to system level architecture and design of laboratory analytical instrument products
- Demonstrate proof of concept performance of physical systems by designing, building, and demonstrating using prototype systems
- Contribute to DFMEA and generate mitigations for the higher impact failures identified
- Programming and scripting to automate measurements or manufacturing steps, e.g. calibration of a component as a function of temperature
- Perform research and analysis demonstrating the scientific added value of Dimer products by collaborating with industry pharmaceutical researchers, and/or conceiving of novel demonstration measurements
- Contribute to project and product planning, including schedule and budgets, and contribute to project and product reports and updates
- Generate Manufacturing procedures and documentation as needed
- Generate User facing procedures and documentation as needed
- Create and present internally and externally intro level explanations of the science and technology that power Dimer Instruments products
- Scientific publications and presentations
- Contribute to patent applications
- Other tasks as assigned by your supervisor
Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Physics, EE, MechE, ChemE, or equivalent training, work experience, and skills
- Expert in the design and use of optical systems. Strong knowledge of high level math, programming/scripting, data acquisition, electronics, general science
- Demonstrated ability to create and work with real world measurement systems.
Additional Skills
Must have the social “soft skills” required to be collaborative across the organization. Socially adept, able to navigate different groups and functions with competing needs, and able to work with stakeholders to create solutions requiring compromise. Must be able to understand and communicate well in English, both spoken and written, and be able to write reports, work instructions, business correspondence, procedures, and manuals. Must be able to present work in an organized way both for project/progress reviews and design reviews.
Physical Requirements
When working in machine shop, chemistry, or optics lab, appropriate protective gear must be worn including eyewear, eye protection from laser or UV light, lab coats, and closed toed shoes.
Work Environment
Office space, optics lab, chemistry lab, warehouse, and electronics and optical manufacturing space. The employee may occasionally be exposed to moderate noise levels, e.g. from loud fans in electronics equipment. Travel may occasionally be required, e.g. to test labs, customer sites, for conferences and trade shows, or for training.
Job Title: Principal R&D Scientist
Reports to: Chief Technology officer
FLSA Status: Full time, Regular, Salary, Exempt
About us
At Dimer Instruments we’re creating the next generation of laboratory analytical instruments for the pharmaceutical market. Our products use multiple light-based spectroscopic methods to interrogate solutions containing molecules and particles, providing researchers not just with data but with organized information allowing them to make informed decisions. At Dimer you’ll be working with a high-quality, high-performing, highly collaborative, and enjoyable team of Engineers and Scientists to create products that make a difference in the world. We have fun while we’re creating great products.
Summary
The Principal Research and Development Scientist will be a critical member of the team designing and developing Analytical instruments. They will be expert in the use of optics, optical breadboarding, and optical systems, and in addition to optics they will use a combination of science, math, analysis, scripting/programming, mechanics, data acquisition, and electronics to contribute hands-on through all phases of research and development, including 1) initial math, analysis, simulation, 2) measurement system design, 3) building real-world prototypes that demonstrate proof of concept for individual measurement modalities and functionality, 4) building system prototypes, 5) bringing products from R&D into Manufacturing, 6) demonstrating product performance at every stage in the product lifecycle, and 7) supporting product release and early rapid product improvement. The Principal R&D Scientist will collaborate closely with Mechanical, Electrical, and Software Engineers, and with in-house Application Scientists. The successful Principal R&D Scientist will be able to be scientifically careful and rigorous, able to theoretically understand and experimentally tease apart subtle contributors to data and signals, and also be action-oriented and able to come to quick, practical, and manufacturable solutions. They will be designing and creating scientific instruments that provide cutting edge data and yet are robust in the real world, able to ship to Japan or Europe without optics mis-aligning, and able to reliably operate in sometimes non-ideal laboratory conditions. The successful Principal R&D Scientist will not shy away from tackling the sometimes less glamorous work of contributing to work instructions and assembly instructions (e.g. for an optical alignment or calibration method to be used in manufacturing), generating and documenting manufacturing tools (which can sometimes be complicated analytical instruments in their own right), contributing to user documentation, and running and analyzing user samples. The successful R&D Principal scientist will be highly collaborative, both with Dimer staff across the organization and with external researchers. The Principal R&D Scientist will also be willing and able to educate customers, internal Dimer staff, and other stakeholders regarding the science behind the Dimer products, generating presentations and demonstrations and presenting at conferences, trade shows, customer sites, and for internal training as needed. Dimer Instruments products are scientific instruments and analytical tools used by scientists. The Principal R&D Scientist will be a key member of a collaborative team inventing, designing, developing, and launching products that solve real world challenges and improve the pace of science and pharmaceutical development.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Design, build, and demonstrate performance of optical measurement systems, including imaging and non-imaging systems from UV into the NIR
- Use standard optical and measurement tools to assess performance of optical components including single mode and multi-mode optical fibers, lens, filters, mirrors, optomechanical and assemblies
- Math, simulation, and analysis to predict real world performance of physical systems, e.g. noise floor for a particular optical measurement, cooling rate of a thermoelectric module assembly, signal strength from molecules in solution being probed by various modalities, etc., etc.
- Electronics troubleshooting, including op-amp circuits associated with laser drive, photocurrent measurement, and similar, and digital circuits associated with GPIO, system control, and similar
- Contribute to system level architecture and design of laboratory analytical instrument products
- Demonstrate proof of concept performance of physical systems by designing, building, and demonstrating using prototype systems
- Contribute to DFMEA and generate mitigations for the higher impact failures identified
- Programming and scripting to automate measurements or manufacturing steps, e.g. calibration of a component as a function of temperature
- Perform research and analysis demonstrating the scientific added value of Dimer products by collaborating with industry pharmaceutical researchers, and/or conceiving of novel demonstration measurements
- Contribute to project and product planning, including schedule and budgets, and contribute to project and product reports and updates
- Generate Manufacturing procedures and documentation as needed
- Generate User facing procedures and documentation as needed
- Create and present internally and externally intro level explanations of the science and technology that power Dimer Instruments products
- Scientific publications and presentations
- Contribute to patent applications
- Other tasks as assigned by your supervisor
Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Physics, EE, MechE, ChemE, or equivalent training, work experience, and skills
- Expert in the design and use of optical systems. Strong knowledge of high level math, programming/scripting, data acquisition, electronics, general science
- Demonstrated ability to create and work with real world measurement systems.
Additional Skills
Must have the social “soft skills” required to be collaborative across the organization. Socially adept, able to navigate different groups and functions with competing needs, and able to work with stakeholders to create solutions requiring compromise. Must be able to understand and communicate well in English, both spoken and written, and be able to write reports, work instructions, business correspondence, procedures, and manuals. Must be able to present work in an organized way both for project/progress reviews and design reviews.
Physical Requirements
When working in machine shop, chemistry, or optics lab, appropriate protective gear must be worn including eyewear, eye protection from laser or UV light, lab coats, and closed toed shoes.
Work Environment
Office space, optics lab, chemistry lab, warehouse, and electronics and optical manufacturing space. The employee may occasionally be exposed to moderate noise levels, e.g. from loud fans in electronics equipment. Travel may occasionally be required, e.g. to test labs, customer sites, for conferences and trade shows, or for training.
See all 32+ H-1B Visa R&D Scientist Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new H-1B Visa R&D Scientist Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship as a R&D Scientist
Align your degree to the SOC code
R&D Scientist positions map to specific Standard Occupational Classification codes that USCIS uses to evaluate specialty occupation status. Pull the O*NET profile for your discipline to confirm the degree field your employer should cite in the I-129, then verify your transcript matches that field exactly.
Search LCA filings by research discipline
Target employers who have filed certified LCAs under the SOC codes for your specialty, whether biochemistry, materials research, or another field. Migrate Mate lists employers with verified H-1B LCA sponsorship history, searchable by role and location, so you can focus outreach on proven sponsors.
Confirm each worksite has its own LCA
If your R&D role involves field work, clinical sites, or a secondary campus, your employer must file a separate certified LCA for each worksite before you work there. Raise this with HR early so USCIS doesn't receive an I-129 that mismatches your actual work location.
Get your degree evaluated before the offer stage
If your highest degree is from outside the U.S., obtain a credential evaluation from a NACES-member service before you start negotiating offers. USCIS scrutinizes foreign degree equivalency for research roles, and a pending evaluation can delay your I-129 filing by weeks.
Distinguish your research duties from technician duties in writing
USCIS distinguishes R&D Scientists from lab technicians based on whether the role requires independent research judgment at the degree level. Ask your employer to document in the offer letter that the position requires original analysis, experimental design, or publication-level output, not routine testing protocols.
Use premium processing if your project start date is fixed
R&D roles tied to grant cycles, clinical trial timelines, or product development sprints can't absorb a delayed petition. USCIS offers premium processing for the I-129, guaranteeing a decision within a defined window. Confirm with your employer before the offer is finalized that they'll elect premium processing if timing is tight.
H-1B Visa R&D Scientist: Frequently Asked Questions
Does an R&D Scientist role qualify as an H-1B specialty occupation?
Yes. R&D Scientist positions qualify as specialty occupations because they require at least a bachelor's degree in a specific scientific discipline such as chemistry, biology, physics, or materials science. USCIS evaluates the job duties described in the I-129 petition, so your employer's offer letter and job description should clearly reflect degree-level research responsibilities rather than technician-level tasks.
Which employers sponsor H-1B visas for R&D Scientist positions?
Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, national laboratories, medical device manufacturers, and technology firms with applied research divisions are among the most active H-1B sponsors for R&D roles. You can browse employers with verified LCA filing history for research occupations on Migrate Mate, filtered by city and role type, to narrow your search to confirmed sponsors.
What documents should I gather before an employer starts my H-1B petition?
Collect your academic transcripts, degree certificates, and a foreign credential evaluation if your highest degree is from outside the U.S. You'll also need a current CV that maps your research experience to the specific SOC occupation your employer intends to file under. USCIS may issue a Request for Evidence if your degree field doesn't clearly align with the job duties described in the I-129.
What is the LCA requirement for R&D Scientists who work at multiple sites?
DOL requires a separately certified LCA for each physical worksite where you'll perform H-1B duties for more than 30 workdays in a year. For R&D Scientists who rotate between a main laboratory, a partner institution, or a field site, the employer must file and receive DOL certification for each location before work begins there. A single LCA doesn't cover unspecified or changing worksites.
How long does H-1B status last for an R&D Scientist?
USCIS initially grants H-1B status for up to three years. Your employer can file an extension to reach a six-year total. Beyond six years, continued H-1B extensions are possible only if certain green card milestones have been reached, such as an approved I-140 petition or a PERM labor certification that has been pending for at least 365 days.