AI Data Specialist Jobs for OPT Students
AI Data Specialist roles involve labeling, curating, and evaluating datasets that train machine learning models, making them a strong fit for F-1 OPT students with backgrounds in computer science, data science, or linguistics. Many employers in this space have experience working with international candidates on STEM OPT, which covers the full 36-month authorization period.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
We Put the World on Vacation
Travel + Leisure Co. is the world’s leading vacation ownership and travel membership company, with a dynamic and growing portfolio of resort, travel club, and lifestyle travel brands. Our dedicated associates help the company achieve its mission to put the world on vacation. Innovation and growth keep our work interesting and fun. Every day is a chance to learn something new and turn vacation inspiration into exceptional experiences for millions of travelers worldwide.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The AI Data Specialist for Global Rental Operations (GRO) develops AI-ready data structures, partners closely with IT engineering and data science teams, and ensures high-quality, well-modeled data across Snowflake, Salesforce, Power BI, and activation systems. This liaison role bridges GRO and IT, translating business needs into technical requirements, conducting QA, and supporting scalable modeling and automation. The role is essential to GRO’s growth as it expands into new marketplaces, distribution partners, and brands — enabling cohesive, AI-supported customer and performance views and helping shift GRO toward rule-based, automated marketing. This role is hybrid in office Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and remote Thursday and Friday.
How You'll Shine:
- Build scalable, AI-ready semantic models and structured datasets in Snowflake to unify customer, marketplace, and performance data across brands and partners.
- Define ingestion standards for new marketplaces, distribution partners, and brand data to ensure consistency and long-term scalability.
- Serve as the primary liaison between GRO and IT/data science teams, translating business needs into clear technical requirements and documentation.
- Conduct QA across pipelines, partner feeds, feature stores, and model outputs to ensure data accuracy and reliability.
- Support advanced modeling use cases such as propensity scoring, persona clustering, lookalikes, and inventory-based triggers by developing reusable, well-structured features.
- Structure and optimize Power BI semantic models to enable AI-powered insights (including Copilot) and cohesive, cross-channel performance dashboards.
- Enable rule-based, model-informed automation by developing scalable data triggers and activation logic that reduce manual campaign execution.
- Ensure data definitions, activation logic, and reporting frameworks remain consistent as GRO expands into new markets, brands, and channels.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in a technology-related field preferred
- Snowflake/SQL/Python certifications preferred
- QA, data modeling, documentation, cross-functional liaison
- SQL, Snowflake, Python, Power BI, CRM/CDP systems
- 4+ years in data engineering or applied analytics; experience with IT partnership
Experience equivalent to the education requirement may be accepted in lieu of the education requirement.
HOW YOU'LL BE REWARDED
We offer a diverse range of comprehensive health and welfare benefits to associates who work 30 or more hours per week to meet your needs and support you throughout your career with us. Travel + Leisure Co. benefits include:
Note: Temporary and/or seasonal associates are ineligible for Paid Time Off.
- Medical
- Dental
- Vision
- Flexible spending accounts
- Life and accident coverage
- Disability
- Depending on position, paid time off, parental leave and holidays (speak to your recruiter for additional information)
- Wish day paid time to volunteer at an approved organization of your choice
- 401k with employer match (subject to eligibility requirements, including tenure - speak to your recruiter for additional information)
- Legal and identify theft plan
- Voluntary income protection benefits
- Wellness program (subject to provider availability)
- Employee Assistance Program
WHERE MEMORIES START WITH YOU
Hospitality is at the heart of all we do at Travel + Leisure Co. Here, you’ll find an inclusive environment where we deliver excellence and take time to have fun, celebrate together, and support one another. We're always looking ahead to what’s next and how we can strengthen our business, its neighboring communities, and the customer experience. Join our global team and build a career where memories start with you.
We are an equal opportunity employer, and all applications will be considered for employment without attention to their membership in any protected class. If you require any reasonable accommodation to complete your application or any part of the recruiting process, please email your request to MyCareer@travelandleisure.com, including the title and location of the position for which you are applying.
INTRODUCTION
We Put the World on Vacation
Travel + Leisure Co. is the world’s leading vacation ownership and travel membership company, with a dynamic and growing portfolio of resort, travel club, and lifestyle travel brands. Our dedicated associates help the company achieve its mission to put the world on vacation. Innovation and growth keep our work interesting and fun. Every day is a chance to learn something new and turn vacation inspiration into exceptional experiences for millions of travelers worldwide.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The AI Data Specialist for Global Rental Operations (GRO) develops AI-ready data structures, partners closely with IT engineering and data science teams, and ensures high-quality, well-modeled data across Snowflake, Salesforce, Power BI, and activation systems. This liaison role bridges GRO and IT, translating business needs into technical requirements, conducting QA, and supporting scalable modeling and automation. The role is essential to GRO’s growth as it expands into new marketplaces, distribution partners, and brands — enabling cohesive, AI-supported customer and performance views and helping shift GRO toward rule-based, automated marketing. This role is hybrid in office Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and remote Thursday and Friday.
How You'll Shine:
- Build scalable, AI-ready semantic models and structured datasets in Snowflake to unify customer, marketplace, and performance data across brands and partners.
- Define ingestion standards for new marketplaces, distribution partners, and brand data to ensure consistency and long-term scalability.
- Serve as the primary liaison between GRO and IT/data science teams, translating business needs into clear technical requirements and documentation.
- Conduct QA across pipelines, partner feeds, feature stores, and model outputs to ensure data accuracy and reliability.
- Support advanced modeling use cases such as propensity scoring, persona clustering, lookalikes, and inventory-based triggers by developing reusable, well-structured features.
- Structure and optimize Power BI semantic models to enable AI-powered insights (including Copilot) and cohesive, cross-channel performance dashboards.
- Enable rule-based, model-informed automation by developing scalable data triggers and activation logic that reduce manual campaign execution.
- Ensure data definitions, activation logic, and reporting frameworks remain consistent as GRO expands into new markets, brands, and channels.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in a technology-related field preferred
- Snowflake/SQL/Python certifications preferred
- QA, data modeling, documentation, cross-functional liaison
- SQL, Snowflake, Python, Power BI, CRM/CDP systems
- 4+ years in data engineering or applied analytics; experience with IT partnership
Experience equivalent to the education requirement may be accepted in lieu of the education requirement.
HOW YOU'LL BE REWARDED
We offer a diverse range of comprehensive health and welfare benefits to associates who work 30 or more hours per week to meet your needs and support you throughout your career with us. Travel + Leisure Co. benefits include:
Note: Temporary and/or seasonal associates are ineligible for Paid Time Off.
- Medical
- Dental
- Vision
- Flexible spending accounts
- Life and accident coverage
- Disability
- Depending on position, paid time off, parental leave and holidays (speak to your recruiter for additional information)
- Wish day paid time to volunteer at an approved organization of your choice
- 401k with employer match (subject to eligibility requirements, including tenure - speak to your recruiter for additional information)
- Legal and identify theft plan
- Voluntary income protection benefits
- Wellness program (subject to provider availability)
- Employee Assistance Program
WHERE MEMORIES START WITH YOU
Hospitality is at the heart of all we do at Travel + Leisure Co. Here, you’ll find an inclusive environment where we deliver excellence and take time to have fun, celebrate together, and support one another. We're always looking ahead to what’s next and how we can strengthen our business, its neighboring communities, and the customer experience. Join our global team and build a career where memories start with you.
We are an equal opportunity employer, and all applications will be considered for employment without attention to their membership in any protected class. If you require any reasonable accommodation to complete your application or any part of the recruiting process, please email your request to MyCareer@travelandleisure.com, including the title and location of the position for which you are applying.
How to Get Visa Sponsorship as an AI Data Specialist
Lead with your STEM OPT timeline upfront
Mention your 36-month STEM OPT authorization early in applications and interviews. Many hiring managers don't distinguish between standard and STEM OPT, so clarifying the timeline removes the biggest objection before it becomes one.
Target companies with active AI research pipelines
AI labs, autonomous vehicle companies, and enterprise software firms run continuous data annotation and evaluation cycles. These organizations hire OPT candidates more regularly because data work scales with headcount, not visa lottery timing.
Highlight domain-specific annotation experience
If you've labeled medical imaging, multilingual text, or audio datasets, call that out specifically. Domain expertise makes you harder to replace and signals to employers that sponsoring you after OPT is worth the investment.
Show familiarity with data quality frameworks
Employers want candidates who understand inter-annotator agreement, schema design, and quality control pipelines, not just labeling tools. Framing your experience around data quality positions you for senior roles that are more likely to sponsor.
Connect your degree field to the role directly
STEM OPT eligibility depends on your degree field. Linguistics, statistics, computer science, and cognitive science all qualify. Make that connection explicit on your resume so hiring managers and HR teams don't question your authorization status.
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Do AI Data Specialist roles qualify for STEM OPT extension?
Yes, in most cases. AI Data Specialist positions typically fall under computer science, data science, or information technology degree classifications, all of which are on the STEM Designated Degree Program list. Your degree field, not the job title, determines eligibility, so confirm your CIP code with your DSO before applying.
How do I find AI Data Specialist jobs that are open to OPT candidates?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically for visa sponsorship openness, so you're not wasting applications on employers who won't consider international candidates. Searching there saves significant time compared to filtering through general listings and cold-emailing recruiters to ask about sponsorship policies.
Will I need H-1B sponsorship to stay in this role long-term?
For most full-time positions, yes. After STEM OPT ends, H-1B is the most common next step, though some AI data roles at qualifying nonprofits or universities may be cap-exempt. Start sponsorship conversations with your employer at least 12 months before your OPT expires to give adequate time for H-1B preparation.
Can I work as a contractor or on a 1099 basis as an AI Data Specialist on OPT?
OPT requires that your employment be directly related to your degree field, but self-employment and independent contracting are permitted as long as you're working for yourself, not classified as an employee of a single client. If a company wants to hire you as a contractor through their own payroll vendor, that typically qualifies. Consult your DSO to confirm any arrangement.
What should I include on my resume to pass OPT employer screening for this role?
List your visa status, OPT end date, and STEM extension eligibility clearly in a summary or header section. For AI Data Specialist roles specifically, include annotation tools you've used, dataset types you've worked with, and any quality assurance or inter-annotator agreement experience. Employers in AI move quickly and want to assess authorization at a glance.
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