J-1 Visa Energy Jobs
Energy roles in the United States are available to J-1 visa exchange visitors through the Intern, Trainee, and Research Scholar program categories, depending on your stage of study or career. Designated sponsors issue your DS-2019, and your host employer handles day-to-day work. Find roles with J-1 sponsorship pathways here.
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Get Access To All JobsAt Toyota Research Institute (TRI), we’re on a mission to improve the quality of human life. We’re developing new tools and capabilities to amplify the human experience. To lead this transformative shift in mobility, we’ve built a world-class team advancing the state of the art in AI, robotics, driving, and material sciences.
This is a paid 12-week internship opportunity and is a hybrid, in-office role.
Here’s a glimpse into the Internship experience from some of our TRI interns!
The Team: The Accelerated Materials Design and Discovery (AMDD) Team at Toyota Research Institute is focused on accelerating the design and discovery of new materials to enable emissions-free mobility. Materials are at the heart of clean energy technologies, such as batteries, fuel cells, solar cells, hydrogen electrolysis, and carbon capture, and discovering new materials can deliver the breakthroughs needed to displace traditional fossil fuels. Our team develops tools to overcome roadblocks in the materials discovery process using software, machine learning, robotics, and automation. Our customers are scientists and engineers advancing new batteries, fuel cell catalysts, and other materials development projects. By increasing the speed of discovery, we can iterate faster and bring new materials from the lab to the world at a much-needed, faster pace.
The Opportunity:
The intern will work within the AMDD team on a project focused on developing advanced analysis tools and pipelines for X-Ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of mixed-metal oxide thin-films. They will use and develop automated Rietveld refinement tools to label XRD patterns and understand structure-property-processing relationships across a compositionally diverse dataset. They will perform phase identification on XRD patterns ranging from unary to ternary metal-oxides, and develop pipelines to perform automatic or human-assisted labeling of experimental data. They will investigate crystallite size, texturing, and strain across the dataset. This work will contribute to the development of automated workflows for phase identification from XRD, an essential bottleneck in accelerating high-throughput materials discovery.
Responsibilities
- Scope the project to align with the core research efforts.
- Be the primary driver of the technical plan (e.g., model development, analysis plan) with regular feedback from mentors.
- Execute the project using TRI resources.
- Present the project’s approach and findings in research meetings.
Qualifications
- Pursuing a PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, or related fields.
- Familiar with running tabletop or synchrotron XRD experiments.
- 2+ years experience in performing Rietveld refinement, bonus if familiar with analyzing different materials classes.
- Experience with basic data analysis in Python.
- A track record of executing research projects evidenced by journal publications.
- Strong communication skills and ability to work and foster collaboration across interdisciplinary teams.
- Desire to work on challenging and open-ended research projects.
Bonus Qualifications
- Experience using XRD phase identification software, e.g. DARA, GSAS-II, MAUD, Spotlight.
- Experience working with thin-film metal oxides.
- Comfortable working with large datasets.
- Experience with code best practices and collaborative software development using git.
The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $45 and $65/hour for California-based roles. Base pay offered will depend on multiple individualized factors, including, but not limited to, a candidate's experience, skills, job-related knowledge, and market location. TRI offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, and paid time off benefits (including holiday pay and sick time). Additional details regarding these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.
Please reference this Candidate Privacy Notice to inform you of the categories of personal information that we collect from individuals who inquire about and/or apply to work for Toyota Research Institute, Inc. or its subsidiaries, including Toyota A.I. Ventures GP, L.P., and the purposes for which we use such personal information.
TRI is fueled by a diverse and inclusive community of people with unique backgrounds, education and life experiences. We are dedicated to fostering an innovative and collaborative environment by living the values that are an essential part of our culture. We believe diversity makes us stronger and are proud to provide Equal Employment Opportunity for all, without regard to an applicant’s race, color, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, religion, marital status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state or local laws.
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment.
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.
At Toyota Research Institute (TRI), we’re on a mission to improve the quality of human life. We’re developing new tools and capabilities to amplify the human experience. To lead this transformative shift in mobility, we’ve built a world-class team advancing the state of the art in AI, robotics, driving, and material sciences.
This is a paid 12-week internship opportunity and is a hybrid, in-office role.
Here’s a glimpse into the Internship experience from some of our TRI interns!
The Team: The Accelerated Materials Design and Discovery (AMDD) Team at Toyota Research Institute is focused on accelerating the design and discovery of new materials to enable emissions-free mobility. Materials are at the heart of clean energy technologies, such as batteries, fuel cells, solar cells, hydrogen electrolysis, and carbon capture, and discovering new materials can deliver the breakthroughs needed to displace traditional fossil fuels. Our team develops tools to overcome roadblocks in the materials discovery process using software, machine learning, robotics, and automation. Our customers are scientists and engineers advancing new batteries, fuel cell catalysts, and other materials development projects. By increasing the speed of discovery, we can iterate faster and bring new materials from the lab to the world at a much-needed, faster pace.
The Opportunity:
The intern will work within the AMDD team on a project focused on developing advanced analysis tools and pipelines for X-Ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of mixed-metal oxide thin-films. They will use and develop automated Rietveld refinement tools to label XRD patterns and understand structure-property-processing relationships across a compositionally diverse dataset. They will perform phase identification on XRD patterns ranging from unary to ternary metal-oxides, and develop pipelines to perform automatic or human-assisted labeling of experimental data. They will investigate crystallite size, texturing, and strain across the dataset. This work will contribute to the development of automated workflows for phase identification from XRD, an essential bottleneck in accelerating high-throughput materials discovery.
Responsibilities
- Scope the project to align with the core research efforts.
- Be the primary driver of the technical plan (e.g., model development, analysis plan) with regular feedback from mentors.
- Execute the project using TRI resources.
- Present the project’s approach and findings in research meetings.
Qualifications
- Pursuing a PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, or related fields.
- Familiar with running tabletop or synchrotron XRD experiments.
- 2+ years experience in performing Rietveld refinement, bonus if familiar with analyzing different materials classes.
- Experience with basic data analysis in Python.
- A track record of executing research projects evidenced by journal publications.
- Strong communication skills and ability to work and foster collaboration across interdisciplinary teams.
- Desire to work on challenging and open-ended research projects.
Bonus Qualifications
- Experience using XRD phase identification software, e.g. DARA, GSAS-II, MAUD, Spotlight.
- Experience working with thin-film metal oxides.
- Comfortable working with large datasets.
- Experience with code best practices and collaborative software development using git.
The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $45 and $65/hour for California-based roles. Base pay offered will depend on multiple individualized factors, including, but not limited to, a candidate's experience, skills, job-related knowledge, and market location. TRI offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, and paid time off benefits (including holiday pay and sick time). Additional details regarding these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.
Please reference this Candidate Privacy Notice to inform you of the categories of personal information that we collect from individuals who inquire about and/or apply to work for Toyota Research Institute, Inc. or its subsidiaries, including Toyota A.I. Ventures GP, L.P., and the purposes for which we use such personal information.
TRI is fueled by a diverse and inclusive community of people with unique backgrounds, education and life experiences. We are dedicated to fostering an innovative and collaborative environment by living the values that are an essential part of our culture. We believe diversity makes us stronger and are proud to provide Equal Employment Opportunity for all, without regard to an applicant’s race, color, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, religion, marital status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state or local laws.
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment.
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.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding J-1 Visa Sponsorship in Energy
Align your credentials to J-1 categories
Energy roles span internships for enrolled students and Trainee placements for professionals with a degree plus one year of experience. Confirm which category fits your profile before applying, because the DS-2019 category locks your eligibility during the placement.
Flag the two-year home residency requirement early
Many energy Research Scholar and Government Visitor placements trigger the two-year home residency requirement under INA 212(e), particularly if government funding is involved. Confirm your funding source with your designated sponsor before accepting an offer.
Search host employers on Migrate Mate
Use Migrate Mate to filter energy roles by companies that have hosted J-1 exchange visitors, so you're targeting employers already familiar with the DS-2019 process rather than educating hiring managers from scratch.
Verify the host employer can support a training plan
Trainee and Intern categories require a Form DS-7002 training plan co-signed by the host employer and designated sponsor. Confirm early that your prospective energy employer has the supervisory structure to document your learning objectives by discipline.
Check prevailing wage before negotiating your offer
Some energy J-1 placements require wage compliance documentation. Run your job title and location through the OFLC Wage Search to confirm your offered compensation meets the applicable wage level before your training plan is submitted.
Time your DS-2019 request against your start date
Designated sponsors typically need four to six weeks to issue the DS-2019 after receiving a completed training plan. Build that window into your offer negotiation so your visa interview and SEVIS activation line up with your host employer's intended start date.
Energy J-1 Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Which J-1 program category covers Energy roles?
It depends on your career stage. Currently enrolled students pursuing energy internships typically use the Intern category. Professionals who have graduated within the past 12 months and have relevant experience qualify as Trainees. Academic researchers in fields like renewable energy or grid systems typically enter under the Research Scholar or Short-Term Scholar category, depending on program length.
Who actually sponsors the J-1 visa for an energy position?
Your J-1 visa sponsor is a U.S. Department of State-designated organization, not your host employer. Organizations like CIEE, Cultural Vistas, or IIE issue the DS-2019 and monitor your exchange program compliance. Your host energy company is the worksite employer but does not hold the legal sponsoring role. Conflating the two during interviews or applications causes confusion that can delay your placement.
Does my energy role trigger the two-year home residency requirement?
It may. The two-year home residency requirement under INA 212(e) applies when your exchange is funded by your home government, the U.S. government, or if your home country has designated your field as in short supply. Energy engineering and research positions frequently involve government-linked funding. Confirm your funding source with your designated sponsor before signing an offer, since this requirement affects your ability to extend status or change to H-1B visa later.
How do I find energy employers that already understand the J-1 process?
Use Migrate Mate to search for energy roles at employers who have previously hosted J-1 exchange visitors. Targeting companies with prior J-1 experience saves significant time because their HR and legal teams already know what a DS-2019 is, what a Form DS-7002 training plan requires, and how to coordinate with a designated sponsor for program compliance.
What does the DS-7002 training plan require for energy positions?
The DS-7002 documents specific learning objectives tied to your energy discipline, such as power systems engineering, petroleum geology, or energy policy analysis. It must outline the phases of your training, the supervision structure, and how each phase advances your professional development. Both your host employer and your designated sponsor must sign it before your DS-2019 is issued. Vague or generic training plans are a common reason sponsors delay or decline to issue the DS-2019.