J-1 Visa AI Data Engineer Jobs
AI Data Engineer roles in the United States are accessible to international professionals through J-1 visa sponsorship under the Trainee or Research Scholar program category. Designated sponsors issue your DS-2019, while the hiring company serves as your host organization. No lottery or annual cap applies.
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Overview:
The Food is Medicine Institute at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University (the Institute) seeks an outstanding postdoctoral fellow to work on an original nutrient profiling system, Food Compass, under the mentorship and guidance of Institute Director Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian.
Bringing together research, training, patient services, policy development, and community engagement, the Institute aims to serve as a catalyst to drive change, improve health, reduce health disparities, and create a more equitable and resilient healthcare system that recognizes the power of nourishing food. Its efforts are centered in health equity to work collaboratively with and improve the lives of traditionally marginalized, vulnerable populations. The Institute also hosts and builds networks with partnerships with stakeholders within and beyond healthcare to ensure that efforts advance well-being and policy broadly and reach the people who need them most.
WHAT YOU'LL DO:
This is a full-time (12 months per year) position with an anticipated duration of 2-3 years, subject to annual review and renewal based on performance and available funding. The position is based in Boston, MA, and requires regular in-person work. Flexible and hybrid arrangements (e.g., 1–2 days per week remote) may be considered; fully remote work is not available. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. The start date is negotiable. This position offers a competitive salary, excellent benefits, and opportunities for professional development, travel, and collaboration with leading researchers and partners.
The successful candidate will meaningfully contribute to advancing the development, expansion, and application of Food Compass across various partnerships. This may include research and activities related to:
- Updating and expanding the Food Compass algorithm according to the latest science, including expansion to include novel health-related bioactive attributes;
- Supporting ongoing work and manuscripts, including related data manipulation and harmonization of large U.S. branded food databases, including application of AI tools for nutrient attribute coding, ingredient extraction, and large-scale dataset harmonization;
- Leading analyses describing dietary intake in the United States and internationally using Food Compass and existing dietary data from major data sources, including the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the USDA Branded Foods Database, UK Biobank, and others;
- Collaborating with food retailers, healthcare systems, international health-focused government agencies, nutrition-focused venture capital firms and coalitions, and other organizations to advance the role of NPS in consumer education and the creation of a healthier and more equitable food environment;
- Disseminating research findings to relevant stakeholders, including the scientific community, food system leaders, legislative bodies, and advocacy groups and agencies.
The fellow will work within a close-knit, collegial multi-disciplinary team of other trainees, students, and staff within the Institute. In addition to mentoring from Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, the fellow will interact with and gain knowledge and experience from a range of other expert faculty across the Institute and beyond. The fellow will also benefit from meetings, seminars, and coalitions of multi-sector leaders in Food is Medicine including healthcare, community-based, retail, policy, and advocacy organizations. The training program will emphasize the design and publication of original analyses and manuscripts as first author, career development, and transition toward an independent research career.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
Candidates must possess a relevant medical or doctoral degree (MD, PhD, DrPH, ScD) in quantitative sciences (biostatistics, artificial intelligence, epidemiology, etc.), health sciences (e.g., medicine, nutrition, public health, etc.), or related professions (e.g., economics, public policy, business, law, etc.). Strong quantitative and data skills are a must. Ideal candidates will have demonstrated experience applying AI and machine learning tools to manage, clean, and code complex nutrient content and food product datasets. Experience with data visualizations, front of pack labeling, and nutrition policy would also be an asset.
Individuals who work well across disciplines, are collegial and collaborative, and have interest in the intersections of nutrition, information systems, health, medicine, and equity will particularly thrive in this role. Candidates must have a track record of successful interdisciplinary research as evidenced by multiple original, peer-reviewed research publications in a relevant field. We seek candidates whose work is relevant to diverse stakeholders in public and health sectors.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR:
Required education, experience and skills
Applicants must have an MD or doctoral degree (PhD, DrPH, ScD); additional training in biostatistics, coding, AI, epidemiology, nutrition, public health, economics, or related fields; and a record of original, first-author research publications in relevant areas. Candidates must have excellent quantitative/analytical research skills, strong written and oral communication skills, experience using analytic programs for data management and analysis (e.g., STATA, SPSS, SAS, R), and familiarity with AI tools for data processing, nutrient coding, and analysis of large food and dietary datasets, and the ability to work well independently and as part of a team with collaborators.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
A complete application will include; cover letter, CV, and names of three references (if available, reference letters welcomed). Applications should be submitted via Interfolio. Questions can be directed to Julia Sharib (julia.reedy@tufts.edu). Applications will be considered as they are received.
SALARY RANGE:
Minimum $67,500.00, Midpoint $72,875.00, Maximum $78,250.00
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding J-1 Visa Sponsorship as an AI Data Engineer
Align your training plan to data engineering
Your DS-2019 requires a detailed training plan mapping your AI and data engineering objectives to specific activities. Document skills like pipeline architecture, ML model deployment, and cloud infrastructure to satisfy your designated sponsor's program requirements.
Verify your J-1 category before applying
If you're a current student, the Intern category applies. If you hold a degree and relevant professional experience, Trainee is the correct category. Applying under the wrong category delays your DS-2019 and can invalidate your host organization's offer.
Search for J-1-ready employers on Migrate Mate
Filter for AI Data Engineer roles at organizations with documented J-1 visa hosting history. Migrate Mate surfaces host employers who understand the DS-2019 process, reducing the risk of offers falling through because a company hasn't hosted J-1 visa exchange visitors before.
Confirm the two-year rule applies to you
The home-country residency requirement applies if your J-1 is funded by your government or if your field appears on the Exchange Visitor Skills List for your nationality. Confirm your status before accepting an offer, since this requirement affects any future H-1B visa or green card path.
Request an employer who files LCAs for data roles
Ask prospective host employers whether they've previously filed Labor Condition Applications through DOL for data engineering or ML positions. Prior LCA activity signals familiarity with prevailing wage obligations your designated sponsor will need confirmed in the training plan.
Cross-reference your role against O*NET before interviewing
Pull the AI Data Engineer occupation profile on O*NET and use its task and skill descriptors when writing your training objectives. Designated sponsors review whether your proposed activities match a recognized specialty occupation, and O*NET language strengthens that alignment.
AI Data Engineer J-1 Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Which J-1 program category fits an AI Data Engineer role?
Most AI Data Engineers enter on the Trainee category, which covers professionals with a relevant degree and at least one year of experience outside the United States. Current students completing a degree in data science, computer science, or a related field may qualify under the Intern category instead. Research Scholar applies only to those conducting formal academic or scientific research at a university or research institute, not to industry engineering roles.
Who actually sponsors my J-1 visa as an AI Data Engineer?
Your visa sponsor is a U.S. Department of State-designated organization, not your employer. Organizations like IIE, Cultural Vistas, or CIEE issue your DS-2019, monitor your training plan compliance, and serve as the responsible party with the State Department. Your hiring company is the host organization. The host and the designated sponsor are two separate entities with separate legal responsibilities under the J-1 program.
How do I find host employers open to J-1 data engineering roles?
Migrate Mate lets you search for AI Data Engineer positions at U.S. companies that have previously hosted J-1 exchange visitors. This matters because many employers who haven't hosted before will decline offers once they learn they need to coordinate with a designated sponsor on training plans and compliance reporting. Targeting experienced host organizations significantly shortens the path from offer to DS-2019 issuance.
Does the two-year home residency requirement affect AI Data Engineers?
It can. The two-year home-country physical presence requirement applies if your J-1 is funded by your home government, if the U.S. government funds your program, or if your nationality and occupation appear on the Exchange Visitor Skills List published by the State Department. If the requirement applies, you'd need to either fulfill it or obtain a waiver before changing to an H-1B or immigrant visa status. Confirm your situation with your designated sponsor before accepting an offer.
What does the J-1 training plan need to include for a data engineering position?
Your designated sponsor requires a structured training plan, typically on a Form DS-7002, that breaks your J-1 period into phases with specific learning objectives, supervisory oversight, and measurable outcomes. For an AI Data Engineer role, this means documenting activities like building ETL pipelines, training and evaluating ML models, and working with specific cloud or data platforms. Vague descriptions of general software work are routinely rejected, so tie each phase to concrete technical deliverables.