J-1 Visa Engineering Manager Jobs
Engineering Manager roles in the U.S. are accessible to international professionals through the J-1 visa, typically under the Trainee or Specialist program category. Securing sponsorship requires a U.S. Department of State-designated sponsor organization to issue your DS-2019, separate from your host employer's offer.
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Get Access To All JobsAbout Stepful:
Stepful is reimagining allied healthcare training by offering affordable, online, instructor-led, and AI-supported programs that help learners—regardless of background or circumstance—launch high-demand healthcare careers. In addition to our direct-to-consumer training, Stepful partners with leading healthcare institutions to address the growing national shortage of healthcare workers. Our graduates, including Medical Assistants, Pharmacy Technicians, Nurses, and more, form the talent pipelines at major employers like CVS, NY-Presbyterian, HCA, Providence, and Walgreens. Stepful is backed by Y Combinator, Reach Capital, and AlleyCorp, with a recent $31.5M Series B led by Oak HC/FT. We were named the #1 EdTech company in the U.S. by TIME for 2025. We’re improving access to quality healthcare for everyone, everywhere, and improving access to healthcare careers for those who need them most.
Our Values:
We credit much of our success to our exceptional team. We’re looking for mission-driven builders who thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments, and embody our four core values:
Care first: We do whatever it takes for our students to succeed.
Learn quickly: We test, learn with data, and iterate.
Build together: We win when we rely on each other.
Own it: We show up, take initiative, and show pride.
The Opportunity:
As an Engineering Manager at Stepful, you’ll lead a team of Product Engineers building the end-to-end experiences that help our students succeed—from enrollment and program completion to landing their first healthcare job. This is a hands-on management role where you will stay close to the codebase (roughly 20% of your time) while shaping what we build and leading engineers to do the best work of their careers.
What You’ll Do:
Team Leadership & Development:
- Lead your team to deliver impactful outcomes at a sustainable pace—removing blockers, improving processes, and driving continuous improvement.
- Develop engineers through regular feedback, personalized development plans, and opportunity matching.
- Foster a high-trust, psychologically safe team culture grounded in Stepful’s mission and values.
- Recruit, interview, and onboard new engineers to scale our builder culture.
Product Delivery & Collaboration:
- Partner closely with Product, Design, Data, and Operations to shape discovery and ensure we are building the right things at the right time.
- Communicate clearly with stakeholders, setting expectations upfront and following through on delivery commitments.
- Balance competing priorities with a bias for action and clear decision-making.
Technical Excellence (Hands-on):
- Contribute roughly 20% of your time to the codebase through code reviews, architecture design, documentation, and individual contributions.
- Uphold high engineering quality and guide system evolution through technical roadmapping and leading by example.
- Oversee projects across our core pillars: Learning Experience (adaptive learning/AI feedback), Careers (ranking algorithms and partner matching), and Human Connection (LLM-driven internal tools).
What You’ll Bring:
- 2+ years of direct experience managing software engineers.
- 6+ years of experience building software products, with a strong full-stack engineering background.
- A "builder" mentality—you are eager to go deep in code reviews, ask technical questions, and stay involved in architecture.
- Proven experience partnering with Product and Design teams through the full discovery, planning, and execution lifecycle.
- A genuine love for developing others and seeing engineers grow in their careers.
Bonus Points If:
- You have experience at a high-growth startup (B2C, B2B2C, EdTech, or HealthTech).
- You have a track record of improving engineering systems (CI/CD, developer experience, velocity).
- You have experience building and maintaining happy, high-performing engineering teams during periods of rapid scale.
Benefits And Compensation:
- Subsidized Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plan options
- 401(k)
- FSA, HSA and commuter benefits
- Open vacation policy, including:
+ Guidance of 15 days PTO annually
+ Stepful closed the last week of December
+ 15 work-from-anywhere days
+ 10 public holidays observed for 2026
New Hire Base Salary Bands:
Engineering Manager - $172,000-$218,000
Senior Manager - $188,000-$238,000
Please note we do not have a bonus structure at this time so all cash compensation will come in the form of base salary. The total compensation package will also include our benefits package and an equity (ISOs) package. Compensation for this role will fall within the pay range listed and will be determined based on job-related factors including, but not limited to, skills, experience, qualifications as well as interview evaluation. Ranges are market-dependent and may be modified in the future.
Stepful is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.
We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or other applicable legally protected characteristic.
About Stepful:
Stepful is reimagining allied healthcare training by offering affordable, online, instructor-led, and AI-supported programs that help learners—regardless of background or circumstance—launch high-demand healthcare careers. In addition to our direct-to-consumer training, Stepful partners with leading healthcare institutions to address the growing national shortage of healthcare workers. Our graduates, including Medical Assistants, Pharmacy Technicians, Nurses, and more, form the talent pipelines at major employers like CVS, NY-Presbyterian, HCA, Providence, and Walgreens. Stepful is backed by Y Combinator, Reach Capital, and AlleyCorp, with a recent $31.5M Series B led by Oak HC/FT. We were named the #1 EdTech company in the U.S. by TIME for 2025. We’re improving access to quality healthcare for everyone, everywhere, and improving access to healthcare careers for those who need them most.
Our Values:
We credit much of our success to our exceptional team. We’re looking for mission-driven builders who thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments, and embody our four core values:
Care first: We do whatever it takes for our students to succeed.
Learn quickly: We test, learn with data, and iterate.
Build together: We win when we rely on each other.
Own it: We show up, take initiative, and show pride.
The Opportunity:
As an Engineering Manager at Stepful, you’ll lead a team of Product Engineers building the end-to-end experiences that help our students succeed—from enrollment and program completion to landing their first healthcare job. This is a hands-on management role where you will stay close to the codebase (roughly 20% of your time) while shaping what we build and leading engineers to do the best work of their careers.
What You’ll Do:
Team Leadership & Development:
- Lead your team to deliver impactful outcomes at a sustainable pace—removing blockers, improving processes, and driving continuous improvement.
- Develop engineers through regular feedback, personalized development plans, and opportunity matching.
- Foster a high-trust, psychologically safe team culture grounded in Stepful’s mission and values.
- Recruit, interview, and onboard new engineers to scale our builder culture.
Product Delivery & Collaboration:
- Partner closely with Product, Design, Data, and Operations to shape discovery and ensure we are building the right things at the right time.
- Communicate clearly with stakeholders, setting expectations upfront and following through on delivery commitments.
- Balance competing priorities with a bias for action and clear decision-making.
Technical Excellence (Hands-on):
- Contribute roughly 20% of your time to the codebase through code reviews, architecture design, documentation, and individual contributions.
- Uphold high engineering quality and guide system evolution through technical roadmapping and leading by example.
- Oversee projects across our core pillars: Learning Experience (adaptive learning/AI feedback), Careers (ranking algorithms and partner matching), and Human Connection (LLM-driven internal tools).
What You’ll Bring:
- 2+ years of direct experience managing software engineers.
- 6+ years of experience building software products, with a strong full-stack engineering background.
- A "builder" mentality—you are eager to go deep in code reviews, ask technical questions, and stay involved in architecture.
- Proven experience partnering with Product and Design teams through the full discovery, planning, and execution lifecycle.
- A genuine love for developing others and seeing engineers grow in their careers.
Bonus Points If:
- You have experience at a high-growth startup (B2C, B2B2C, EdTech, or HealthTech).
- You have a track record of improving engineering systems (CI/CD, developer experience, velocity).
- You have experience building and maintaining happy, high-performing engineering teams during periods of rapid scale.
Benefits And Compensation:
- Subsidized Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plan options
- 401(k)
- FSA, HSA and commuter benefits
- Open vacation policy, including:
+ Guidance of 15 days PTO annually
+ Stepful closed the last week of December
+ 15 work-from-anywhere days
+ 10 public holidays observed for 2026
New Hire Base Salary Bands:
Engineering Manager - $172,000-$218,000
Senior Manager - $188,000-$238,000
Please note we do not have a bonus structure at this time so all cash compensation will come in the form of base salary. The total compensation package will also include our benefits package and an equity (ISOs) package. Compensation for this role will fall within the pay range listed and will be determined based on job-related factors including, but not limited to, skills, experience, qualifications as well as interview evaluation. Ranges are market-dependent and may be modified in the future.
Stepful is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.
We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or other applicable legally protected characteristic.
See all 37+ Engineering Manager jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Engineering Manager roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding J-1 Visa Sponsorship as an Engineering Manager
Document your engineering leadership credentials precisely
Your DS-2019 training plan must map your Engineering Manager competencies to specific U.S. objectives. Gather performance reviews, org charts showing direct reports, and project scopes that demonstrate you managed teams, budgets, and technical delivery.
Identify host employers with international exchange experience
Target mid-to-large engineering firms that have hosted J-1 Trainees or Specialists before. Companies with existing DOL compliance infrastructure and HR teams familiar with training plan requirements move far faster through the DS-2019 process than first-time hosts.
Search verified J-1 roles on Migrate Mate
Use Migrate Mate to filter Engineering Manager positions by employers who have demonstrated openness to international exchange visitors. Targeting roles already aligned with J-1 sponsorship pathways saves significant time compared to cold outreach.
Clarify the two-year home residency rule early
Engineering Managers from countries with skills-shortage designations or government-funded exchange programs often face the two-year home residency requirement. Confirm your eligibility for a 212(e) waiver before accepting a host offer, since this affects future H-1B or green card pathways.
Align your training plan with the O*NET profile
Your designated sponsor will scrutinize whether your proposed U.S. activities match recognized Engineering Manager duties. Cross-referencing your training objectives against the O*NET occupation profile strengthens your DS-2019 application and reduces sponsor revision requests.
Confirm host employer 32-hour work week compliance
DOL regulations require J-1 Trainees and Specialists to work full-time hours with the host organization. Verify that your offer letter specifies at least 32 hours per week on-site or in a structured program, since part-time or consulting arrangements can void DS-2019 eligibility.
Engineering Manager jobs are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Engineering Manager JobsEngineering Manager J-1 Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Which J-1 program category applies to Engineering Manager roles?
Most Engineering Managers qualify under the Trainee or Specialist category. Trainee applies if you've completed your degree within the past 12 months or have fewer than five years of post-degree experience. Specialist applies to seasoned professionals with expertise in a specific field not widely available in the U.S. Your designated sponsor determines the correct category based on your background.
Who actually sponsors my J-1 visa as an Engineering Manager?
The visa sponsor is a U.S. Department of State-designated organization, not your hiring employer. Organizations like Cultural Vistas, IIE, or AIPT issue your DS-2019 and remain legally responsible for your program compliance. Your host employer provides the job offer, training plan, and workplace but holds no formal sponsorship role in the J-1 framework.
How do I find Engineering Manager roles open to J-1 exchange visitors?
Most standard job boards don't filter for J-1 host employers specifically. Migrate Mate lets you search Engineering Manager positions with employers who have demonstrated alignment with international exchange visitor programs, so you're not spending time on roles where J-1 sponsorship isn't a realistic option from the start.
Can the two-year home residency requirement affect my engineering career path in the U.S.?
Yes, significantly. If you're subject to the two-year home residency requirement under INA 212(e), you cannot change to H-1B or permanent resident status until you fulfill it or obtain a waiver. Engineering Managers planning long-term U.S. careers should assess 212(e) exposure before accepting a J-1 host offer, since waiver processing can take 12 to 18 months.
What should an Engineering Manager's J-1 training plan include?
Your training plan, structured on the DS-7002 form, must detail specific U.S. learning objectives tied to engineering management competencies you can't acquire at home. Concrete deliverables work better than vague goals: think cross-functional team leadership frameworks, U.S. project delivery methodologies, or exposure to American regulatory and compliance environments relevant to your engineering discipline.
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