H-1B Visa Vice President of Research and Development Jobs
Vice President of Research and Development roles qualify as H-1B visa specialty occupations, requiring at least a bachelor's degree in engineering, life sciences, computer science, or a closely related field. Sponsoring employers file a Labor Condition Application with DOL and an I-129 petition with USCIS, covering an initial three-year H-1B visa status period.
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Team Overview
The Artificial Intelligence Research & Development team advances TransUnion’s next-generation AI capabilities by combining classical AI methods, including planning, reasoning, optimization, and knowledge representation, with generative AI architectures. The team translates emerging research into scalable platforms and differentiated products across TransUnion’s data, analytics, and customer solutions.
This Vice President reports to the Senior Vice President, Artificial Intelligence Research & Development and works closely with leaders across Data Science, Engineering, Product, Solutions, and Innovation.
This is a hybrid position and involves regular performance of job responsibilities virtually as well as in-person at an assigned TU office location for a minimum of two days a week.
Role Overview and Core Responsibilities
- Define and execute the enterprise AI R&D strategy, integrating classical and generative AI into cohesive architectures that support differentiated business and customer outcomes.
- Lead the design and development of production-grade agentic systems, cognitive architectures, and planning-based AI frameworks for real-world decisioning.
- Advance hybrid AI systems that combine symbolic reasoning, statistical learning, large language models, and deterministic methods such as constraint satisfaction.
- Build, lead, and scale a high-performing organization of applied scientists, machine learning engineers, and research engineers.
- Translate research in automated planning, knowledge graphs, reinforcement learning, optimization, and LLM orchestration into production-ready platforms and reusable components.
- Partner with Product, Engineering, Solutions, and business leaders to identify high-value use cases and embed AI capabilities into customer-facing products.
- Establish practices for AI experimentation, evaluation, reproducibility, and benchmarking, including performance measures for hybrid AI systems.
- Develop reusable AI capabilities, including reasoning engines, orchestration layers, agent frameworks, and shared platform components.
- Build relationships with academia and industry to keep TransUnion connected to emerging AI research and talent.
- Embed responsible AI principles, including transparency, explainability, fairness, governance, and risk management, into autonomous and AI-enabled systems.
Required Knowledge and Experiences
- 15+ years of progressive experience in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or related technical fields, including leadership of large-scale AI R&D organizations and delivery of measurable business impact.
- Demonstrated experience building and deploying AI-powered products that combine generative AI and classical AI techniques in production environments.
- Deep knowledge of hybrid AI system design and the trade-offs among symbolic, deterministic, probabilistic, and learning-based approaches.
- Executive-level communication and cross-functional leadership experience, with the ability to influence senior leaders and guide complex AI systems from research through commercialization.
- PhD in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, or a related discipline with emphasis in classical AI, such as planning, search, logic, or knowledge representation, or equivalent advanced expertise gained through relevant research and industry experience.
Required Technical Skills
- Generative AI and LLM (Large Language Model) architectures, including agent orchestration and production deployment patterns.
- Classical AI methods, including automated planning and scheduling, search, logic, constraint satisfaction, and knowledge representation.
- Knowledge graphs, symbolic reasoning, and cognitive or agentic system architectures.
- Reinforcement learning, mathematical optimization, statistical learning, and ML (Machine Learning) evaluation methods.
- AI platform and engineering practices supporting scalable, reproducible, explainable, and governed production systems.
Preferred Skills
Experience creating reusable enterprise AI platforms, reasoning engines, orchestration layers, or agent frameworks.
Track record of converting advanced research into scalable, revenue-generating products or customer solutions.
Experience establishing external research partnerships with universities, laboratories, or industry consortia.
Familiarity with highly regulated data, analytics, financial services, credit, identity, fraud, or information-services environments.
Experience leading globally distributed technical teams and operating effectively at both strategic and hands-on levels.
Benefits that support every part of your life:
At TransUnion, we design benefits to help you feel well, do well, and plan well—from day one.
For Your Health: Enjoy day-one eligibility for medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus supplemental plan options. Spousal, domestic partner, and other eligible dependent coverage is available on select plans. Choose tax-advantaged HSA and FSA accounts to make everyday care more affordable.
For Your Protection: We’ve got your back with company-paid basic life and AD&D, optional voluntary life and AD&D for you and your family, and short- and long-term disability. You can also opt into a legal plan, pet insurance, and travel accident coverage.
For Your Family: From adoption assistance and fertility planning coverage to caregiver support, we’re here for every chapter. Access Dependent Care FSA for possibility of an employer match, a complimentary Care@Work membership, and up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave with eligibility for a thoughtful, gradual return.
For Your Future: Build toward what’s next with our 401(k) with employer match and Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). Tap financial wellness resources, career coaching, and optional long-term care insurance to plan confidently.
For You: Grow and recharge with tuition reimbursement, flexible time off for exempt employees or paid time off for nonexempt employees, up to 12 paid holidays per year, commuter benefits, employee discounts, charitable gift matching, and paid volunteer time off, plus corporate volunteer events that make it easy to give back.
For Your Wellness: Access 24/7 support including professional therapy, coaching, and emotional well-being programs alongside guided meditation and resources that support physical, mental, social, and financial wellness.
We are committed to being a place where diversity is not only present, it is embraced. As an equal opportunity employer, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability status, veteran status, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by law. Additionally, in accordance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, TransUnion takes affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with a disability and protected veterans in all levels of employment and develops annual affirmative action plans. Components of TransUnion’s Affirmative Action Program for individuals with disabilities and protected veterans are available for review to any associate or applicant for employment upon request by contacting ERCoE@transunion.com.
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable law, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and the California Fair Chance Act.
Adherence to Company policies, sound judgment and trustworthiness, working safely, communicating respectfully, and safeguarding business operations, confidential and proprietary information, and the Company’s reputation are also essential expectations of this position.
Pay Scale Information:
The U.S. base salary range for this position is $193,500.00 - $353,250.00 annually. *The salary range for this position reflects a reasonable estimate of the range of compensation for this job. At TransUnion, actual compensation is based on careful consideration of additional factors such as (but not limited to) an individual’s education, training, work experience, job-related skill set, location, and industry knowledge, as well as the scope and responsibilities of the position and market considerations. Regular, fulltime non-sales positions may be eligible to participate in TransUnion’s annual bonus plan. Certain positions may be also eligible for long-term incentives and other payments based on applicable company guidance and plan documents.
TransUnion Overview:
At TransUnion, we encourage and are committed to creating a real, positive impact and shared sense of purpose within our Workforce for Good, which empowers our people to grow, innovate and contribute to a better future for our communities and customers. We strive to build an environment where our associates are in the driver’s seat of their professional development— while having access to help along the way. We recognize that success comes when our associates thrive both professionally and personally; that’s why we prioritize work/life flexibility and offer resources for our teams across the globe to collaborate and drive excellence.
Be a part of our Workforce for Good – you’ll work with great people, pioneering products and cutting-edge technology.
TransUnion's Internal Job Title:
VP, Data Science and Analytics
See all H-1B Visa Vice President of Research and Development Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship in Vice President of Research and Development
Document your advanced degree clearly
Your petition is stronger when your degree field maps directly to R&D leadership duties. If your doctorate or master's is in a niche discipline, prepare a credential evaluation and a detailed duties letter that ties your academic background to the specific technical scope of the VP role.
Use OFLC Wage Search before negotiating
VP of R&D prevailing wages vary significantly by SOC code, geographic area, and wage level. Run the OFLC Wage Search for your target metro before you enter salary discussions so your offer clears the DOL-certified floor and avoids an LCA deficiency after filing.
Find sponsors through Migrate Mate's verified database
Target companies with a documented history of filing H-1B LCAs for senior R&D roles. Migrate Mate lists employers by verified sponsorship history and role type, so you're focusing your search on organizations that have already navigated executive-level H-1B filings.
Confirm each worksite gets its own LCA
VP roles often involve travel to satellite labs, partner facilities, or subsidiary locations. Each primary worksite requires a separately certified LCA before you work there. Raise this with your employer's immigration counsel early so worksite expansions don't stall your authorization.
Check your O*NET profile for specialty occupation framing
The O*NET profile for research and development management roles details the specific knowledge domains and analytical tasks that support a specialty occupation argument. Reviewing it helps you and your employer's attorney frame your job duties in language aligned with what USCIS evaluates.
Start the premium processing conversation at the offer stage
VP-level starts are rarely flexible. If your offer has a hard start date, ask your prospective employer whether they'll elect premium processing on your I-129. USCIS processes premium petitions within 15 business days, which matters when board approvals or product launches depend on your arrival.
H-1B Visa Vice President of Research and Development: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Vice President of Research and Development role qualify as an H-1B specialty occupation?
Yes. A VP of R&D role typically qualifies as a specialty occupation because it requires at least a bachelor's degree in a specific technical field such as engineering, computer science, biology, chemistry, or a related discipline. The employer documents this in the I-129 petition by showing that the theoretical and practical application of that degree is a normal requirement for the position, not just a preference.
What LCA requirements apply when a VP of R&D travels between company locations?
Each primary worksite where you work for more than a few weeks requires its own certified Labor Condition Application. If your role involves leading R&D teams across multiple facilities, your employer must file separate LCAs for each location before you work there. Short-term placements under DOL guidelines can be covered differently, but for recurring assignments at a fixed site, a site-specific LCA is required.
How long does H-1B status last for a VP of Research and Development?
H-1B status is initially granted for up to three years and can be extended to a six-year maximum. Beyond six years, continued H-1B extensions may be available if a PERM labor certification or I-140 immigrant petition has been filed and meets the statutory criteria. Your employer's immigration attorney should build a long-term plan at the time of your initial petition.
Can I find VP of Research and Development roles at employers who actively sponsor H-1B visas?
Yes. Migrate Mate lists employers with verified H-1B LCA sponsorship history, including companies that have filed for senior research and development roles. Searching by role type and location lets you identify organizations that have already demonstrated willingness and capacity to sponsor at the executive level, which saves significant time compared to cold outreach.
Does the H-1B cap and selection process affect VP of R&D candidates?
It depends on where you're currently working. If you're already in H-1B status with another employer, a transfer to a new VP role is typically cap-exempt. If you're entering from outside the H-1B system, your petition is subject to the annual cap, and the selection rules have changed recently, so confirm the current process directly with USCIS or your immigration attorney before planning your timeline.