H-1B Visa Senior Staff Data Scientist Jobs
Senior Staff Data Scientists command some of the strongest H-1B visa sponsorship rates in tech, with roles classified under SOC codes that consistently clear the specialty occupation bar. Employers filing LCAs for this level typically sponsor at all three H-1B wage tiers, and premium processing is common given the seniority and business-critical nature of the work.
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We are looking for an accomplished Principal Machine Learning Engineer to join our global ML organization. In this role, you will drive innovation across our machine learning ecosystem, architect advanced ML solutions, and mentor junior ML engineers around the world. You will play a key part in shaping our technical direction—leading complex ML initiatives, elevating engineering standards, and guiding teams as they build scalable, production‑ready machine learning systems.
If you are ambitious, energized by solving challenging technical problems, passionate about developing talent, and excited to influence the future of ML/AI in the video game industry, this could be the perfect role for you.
About us
Xsolla is a global commerce company with robust tools and services to help developers solve the inherent challenges of the video game industry. From indie to AAA, companies partner with Xsolla to help them fund, distribute, market, and monetize their games. Grounded in the belief in the future of video games, Xsolla is resolute in the mission to bring opportunities together, and continually make new resources available to creators. Headquartered and incorporated in Los Angeles, California, Xsolla operates as the merchant of record and has helped over 1,500+ game developers to reach more players and grow their businesses around the world. With more paths to profits and ways to win, developers have all the things needed to enjoy the game.
Requirements:
Modeling Depth:
- Advanced Degree in Statistics, machine learning or related areas. Experience in statistics/ML expertise with a track record of leading high-impact data science initiatives at scale of billions of transactions.
- Hands-on experience creating, training and fine-tuning models not just integrating hosted model APIs. You should be able to walk through the data, the objective, what broke, and the before/after evaluation numbers, and why the model did not perform as expected.
- Experience owning models in production: deployment, monitoring, drift detection, retraining — with real latency budgets, not just research notebooks.
- Production experience with classical ML for fraud/anomaly detection, recommendation, or churn/LTV (gradient boosting, deep learning, graph-based models).
Technology Familiarity:
- Supervised learning, transfer learning on machine learning as well as neural networks.
- Basic LLM knowledge, especially how to use it and where not to use it.
- MLOps foundations: feature stores, experiment tracking, model registries (MLflow/W&B-class), continuous training pipelines.
- Model serving and inference optimization (vLLM-class serving, quantization).
Nice-to-Have:
- Publications, conference talks, or recognized open-source contributions to training/eval tooling.
- Graph-based fraud detection (fraud rings, device/account linkage).
- Gaming, payments, fraud, advertising domain experience.
- Hands-on, up-to-date experience with modern AI tools (e.g., Claude, Copilot, Cursor) for code generation, review, and accelerating day-to-day engineering work.
Benefits:
We are passionate about fostering a supportive environment for our team, so we prioritize the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of our employees and their families through a comprehensive Benefits Program. This includes 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision plans, unlimited Flexible Time Off, and a personalized career roadmap for each US employee. By investing in professional development through training and educational opportunities, we ensure that our team thrives both personally and professionally. Together, we’re not just building a business; we’re cultivating a community that values creativity, collaboration, and the transformative power of play.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:
Xsolla is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law. We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in accordance with the Fair Chance Act.
Criminal History Consideration:
For the Data Scientist position, we will conduct a background check that may include the following:
- Criminal history check
- Employment verification
- Education verification
Relevance to Job Responsibilities:
The background check is relevant to this position because of the following role responsibilities:
- Accessing confidential company data
- Ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements
Rights Under the Fair Chance Act:
Applicants are encouraged to inquire about their rights under the Fair Chance Act. If you have questions regarding our hiring practices, please contact careers@xsolla.com.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
ABOUT YOU
We are looking for an accomplished Principal Machine Learning Engineer to join our global ML organization. In this role, you will drive innovation across our machine learning ecosystem, architect advanced ML solutions, and mentor junior ML engineers around the world. You will play a key part in shaping our technical direction—leading complex ML initiatives, elevating engineering standards, and guiding teams as they build scalable, production‑ready machine learning systems.
If you are ambitious, energized by solving challenging technical problems, passionate about developing talent, and excited to influence the future of ML/AI in the video game industry, this could be the perfect role for you.
About us
Xsolla is a global commerce company with robust tools and services to help developers solve the inherent challenges of the video game industry. From indie to AAA, companies partner with Xsolla to help them fund, distribute, market, and monetize their games. Grounded in the belief in the future of video games, Xsolla is resolute in the mission to bring opportunities together, and continually make new resources available to creators. Headquartered and incorporated in Los Angeles, California, Xsolla operates as the merchant of record and has helped over 1,500+ game developers to reach more players and grow their businesses around the world. With more paths to profits and ways to win, developers have all the things needed to enjoy the game.
Requirements:
Modeling Depth:
- Advanced Degree in Statistics, machine learning or related areas. Experience in statistics/ML expertise with a track record of leading high-impact data science initiatives at scale of billions of transactions.
- Hands-on experience creating, training and fine-tuning models not just integrating hosted model APIs. You should be able to walk through the data, the objective, what broke, and the before/after evaluation numbers, and why the model did not perform as expected.
- Experience owning models in production: deployment, monitoring, drift detection, retraining — with real latency budgets, not just research notebooks.
- Production experience with classical ML for fraud/anomaly detection, recommendation, or churn/LTV (gradient boosting, deep learning, graph-based models).
Technology Familiarity:
- Supervised learning, transfer learning on machine learning as well as neural networks.
- Basic LLM knowledge, especially how to use it and where not to use it.
- MLOps foundations: feature stores, experiment tracking, model registries (MLflow/W&B-class), continuous training pipelines.
- Model serving and inference optimization (vLLM-class serving, quantization).
Nice-to-Have:
- Publications, conference talks, or recognized open-source contributions to training/eval tooling.
- Graph-based fraud detection (fraud rings, device/account linkage).
- Gaming, payments, fraud, advertising domain experience.
- Hands-on, up-to-date experience with modern AI tools (e.g., Claude, Copilot, Cursor) for code generation, review, and accelerating day-to-day engineering work.
Benefits:
We are passionate about fostering a supportive environment for our team, so we prioritize the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of our employees and their families through a comprehensive Benefits Program. This includes 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision plans, unlimited Flexible Time Off, and a personalized career roadmap for each US employee. By investing in professional development through training and educational opportunities, we ensure that our team thrives both personally and professionally. Together, we’re not just building a business; we’re cultivating a community that values creativity, collaboration, and the transformative power of play.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:
Xsolla is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law. We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in accordance with the Fair Chance Act.
Criminal History Consideration:
For the Data Scientist position, we will conduct a background check that may include the following:
- Criminal history check
- Employment verification
- Education verification
Relevance to Job Responsibilities:
The background check is relevant to this position because of the following role responsibilities:
- Accessing confidential company data
- Ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements
Rights Under the Fair Chance Act:
Applicants are encouraged to inquire about their rights under the Fair Chance Act. If you have questions regarding our hiring practices, please contact careers@xsolla.com.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
See all 390+ H-1B Visa Senior Staff Data Scientist Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship as a Senior Staff Data Scientist
Map your role to the right SOC code
Senior Staff Data Scientist roles often straddle SOC 15-2051 (Data Scientists) and 15-1221 (Computer and Information Research Scientists). Pull the O*NET profile for each and match your actual job duties before your employer files the LCA. Misclassification is a leading RFE trigger at this level.
Document your prevailing wage tier early
Run an OFLC Wage Search using your work location's metropolitan statistical area before negotiating an offer. At the Senior Staff level, you're likely in Wage Level III or IV. Confirming this before the LCA is filed prevents last-minute offer renegotiation or refilings.
Target employers with cap-exempt filing history
Universities, nonprofit research organizations, and certain government-affiliated labs are H-1B cap-exempt, meaning they can file year-round without lottery exposure. Senior Staff Data Scientists in applied research or faculty-adjacent roles are often eligible. Filtering by employer type narrows your search to organizations that can move fast.
Find sponsors through verified LCA filing data on Migrate Mate
Search Senior Staff Data Scientist roles on Migrate Mate to see which employers have active LCA filing history for this exact title. That filters out companies that say they sponsor but rarely do, so you're applying where H-1B petitions for this level actually get filed.
Prepare a specialty occupation memo before interviews
At the Senior Staff level, USCIS scrutinizes whether the role genuinely requires a specific bachelor's degree field, not just any advanced degree. Draft a one-page summary linking your degree discipline to the technical scope of the role before offer stage. Employers appreciate candidates who make the petition easier to defend.
Negotiate premium processing into your offer
USCIS premium processing moves I-129 adjudication to 15 business days. For Senior Staff roles with delayed start dates or competitive counteroffers in play, request that your employer elect premium processing as a condition of acceptance. Most large tech and finance sponsors treat this as standard for senior hires.
H-1B Visa Senior Staff Data Scientist: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Senior Staff Data Scientist role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes, in nearly all cases. USCIS evaluates whether the position normally requires at least a bachelor's degree in a specific field. Senior Staff Data Scientist roles consistently meet this bar because they require specialized training in statistics, computer science, or a closely related discipline. Staff and principal-level positions actually carry less specialty occupation risk than entry-level roles, since the technical depth is easier to document in the LCA and support letter.
Which employers sponsor H-1B visas for Senior Staff Data Scientists?
Technology companies, financial institutions, healthcare analytics firms, and research-focused organizations are the most active sponsors for this title. Because the role sits at a senior individual contributor level, sponsors tend to be organizations with established immigration programs rather than early-stage startups. Migrate Mate surfaces employers with verified LCA filing history for Senior Staff Data Scientist roles specifically, so you can identify active sponsors before applying.
How does the H-1B lottery affect Senior Staff Data Scientist hiring timelines?
The annual H-1B lottery runs in March for an October 1 start date, creating a roughly six-month gap between selection and work authorization. Senior Staff roles are often critical enough that employers use this window to negotiate a delayed start or bridge the gap with consulting arrangements. Cap-exempt employers, such as universities and nonprofit research labs, can file outside the lottery entirely, which is worth factoring into your job search at this level.
What wage level should a Senior Staff Data Scientist expect on the LCA?
Most Senior Staff Data Scientist roles are classified at DOL Wage Level III or IV, reflecting the advanced knowledge, independent judgment, and scope of responsibility the title implies. Your employer must certify on the LCA that your offered wage meets or exceeds the prevailing wage for your SOC code in your work location. You can verify the applicable wage floor using the OFLC Wage Search before finalizing your offer.
Can a Senior Staff Data Scientist switch employers while on H-1B?
Yes, H-1B portability under AC21 lets you start work with a new employer as soon as your new employer files a concurrent or new H-1B petition, provided your current H-1B has been approved for at least 180 days. For Senior Staff roles, the specialty occupation documentation from your previous petition can inform the new filing, but your new employer needs to file their own I-129. Make sure you don't let your current status lapse before the new petition is received by USCIS.