J-1 Visa Director Of Research Operations Jobs

Director of Research Operations roles in the U.S. typically fall under the J-1 visa Research Scholar or Specialist category, both administered by a State Department-designated sponsor organization that issues your DS-2019. Finding a host institution willing to coordinate J-1 sponsorship is the first step toward securing your placement.

Find J-1 Visa Director Of Research Operations Jobs

Overview

Open Jobs84+
Work Type98% On-site
Top LocationSyracuse, NY
Most JobsSyracuse University

Showing 5 of 84+ Director Of Research Operations jobs

Koch Foods
Live Ops Management Trainee
We won't show you this job again
Koch Foods
New 4h ago
Live Ops Management Trainee
Koch Foods
Anniston, Alabama
On-Site
Bachelor's
10,000+

Have you applied for this role?

University of Kansas
Postdoctoral Researcher
We won't show you this job again
University of Kansas
New 7h ago
Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Laboratory Research
Biotech & Life Sciences
Environmental & Physical Sciences
Physics & Space Science
$59k/yr
On-Site
Doctorate
10,000+

Have you applied for this role?

University of Utah
Postdoctoral Researcher
We won't show you this job again
University of Utah
New 7h ago
Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Data Science & Analytics
Software Engineering
Technical Product & Program Management
Data Science
$60k - $70k/yr
On-Site
Doctorate
10,000+

Have you applied for this role?

The University of Iowa
Intern Researcher
We won't show you this job again
The University of Iowa
New 7h ago
Intern Researcher
The University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
Laboratory Research
Biotech & Life Sciences
$11/hr
On-Site
None
10,000+

Have you applied for this role?

Los Alamos National Laboratory
Geo-Energy Systems Postdoctoral Researcher
We won't show you this job again
Los Alamos National Laboratory
New 23h ago
Geo-Energy Systems Postdoctoral Researcher
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Laboratory Research
Biotech & Life Sciences
Data Science & Analytics
Environmental & Physical Sciences
Data Science
Environmental Science
$100k - $110k/yr
On-Site
Doctorate
10,000+

Have you applied for this role?

See all 84+ Director Of Research Operations Jobs

Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Director Of Research Operations roles.

Get Access To All Jobs

See all 84+ J-1 Visa Director Of Research Operations Jobs

Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new J-1 Visa Director Of Research Operations Jobs.

Get Access To All Jobs

Tips for Finding J-1 Visa Sponsorship in Director Of Research Operations

Document your research leadership credentials early

Designated sponsors like IIE evaluate Research Scholar applicants on publications, institutional affiliations, and demonstrated leadership in research administration. Assemble peer-reviewed work, org charts showing your oversight scope, and letters from department heads before approaching any host institution.

Identify host institutions by research infrastructure

Target universities, federal labs, and research institutes that already hold active DS-2019 issuance agreements with a designated sponsor. Hosts without an existing sponsor relationship face months of setup time, which can derail your offer timeline entirely.

Search J-1-friendly Director roles on Migrate Mate

Use Migrate Mate to filter Director of Research Operations openings at institutions with documented J-1 hosting history, so you spend your outreach on employers already set up to coordinate sponsorship rather than educating them from scratch.

Clarify home residency requirement exposure upfront

Research Scholar J-1 holders are frequently subject to the two-year home residency requirement if your home country government funded your exchange or if your skills appear on the Exchange Visitor Skills List. Confirm your status before accepting an offer, since this affects future H-1B visa or green card eligibility.

Align your training plan with DOL-recognized research management duties

Your DS-2019 training plan must map your day-to-day responsibilities to recognized research operations functions. Cross-reference your proposed duties against the O*NET occupation profile for research administrators to ensure the host and sponsor can justify the placement to DOL standards.

Negotiate sponsor coordination timelines into your offer letter

DS-2019 issuance requires the host to submit financial guarantees and program documentation to the designated sponsor before you can schedule a visa interview. Ask your prospective employer to specify a sponsor submission deadline in writing so the process doesn't stall after you've accepted.

Director Of Research Operations J-1 Visa: Frequently Asked Questions

Which J-1 program category fits a Director of Research Operations role?

Most Director of Research Operations placements fall under the Research Scholar or Specialist category. Research Scholar applies when your role involves conducting or directing original research at a university or research institution. Specialist applies when the position centers on observing, consulting on, or demonstrating specialized research management expertise without a primary research component. Your designated sponsor determines the correct category based on your proposed activities.

Who actually sponsors my J-1 visa for a research operations role?

The visa sponsor is a U.S. Department of State-designated organization, such as IIE or Cultural Vistas, not your hiring institution. The university or research institute where you work is the host organization. The designated sponsor issues your DS-2019, monitors program compliance, and serves as your legal point of contact with the State Department throughout your exchange period.

How do I find employers already set up for J-1 Research Scholar hosting?

Migrate Mate lets you search Director of Research Operations openings filtered by institutions with J-1 hosting experience, saving you from spending outreach on employers who have never coordinated with a designated sponsor. Hosts without an existing sponsor agreement can take several months to establish one, which adds significant risk to your placement timeline.

Does the two-year home residency requirement apply to this role?

It can. Research Scholar J-1 holders are subject to the two-year home residency requirement if their home country government funded the exchange, if their skills appear on the Exchange Visitor Skills List, or if the U.S. government funded the program. You should review your DS-2019 and consult your designated sponsor before accepting an offer, since waiving this requirement later is a separate, time-consuming process.

What does a J-1 training plan need to cover for a research operations director?

The training plan must describe specific research administration activities you will perform, the knowledge or skills you will gain, supervision arrangements, and evaluation methods. Vague plans that simply list job duties are frequently returned by designated sponsors for revision. Grounding your plan in recognized research management functions, such as those outlined in the O*NET occupation profile for research administrators, strengthens the sponsor's ability to approve and defend the placement.